A Unique College Experience: Being a Daiyoukai's Favorite Student
by RoseRogan
Summary: When an 18 year old Kagome Higurashi is accepted to the prestigious Western Academy for Y.O.U.K.A.I., she is beyond excited, only to find her dream school may be more fantastical than she could ever imagine. Finding out she's a Miko and that Youkai actually exist, how will Kagome handle this major turn in events or the attentions of her persistent daiyoukai professor?
1. Chapter 1:Off to College

I DON'T OWN INUYASHA

* * *

Kagome was beyond excited as she lugged the last of her bulging luggage down the steps of her family's shrine. After 18 years, she was finally getting her first taste of freedom and the knowledge of what waited for her at the bottom of the endless staircase spurred her tired legs to move ever faster. Too caught up in her own thoughts, Kagome's customary clumsiness reared its ugly head and sent her tumbling down the last few stairs to land with a loud ***THUMP* **of both her ass and suitcase hitting the ground.

"Well, so much for a dignified exit." Her mother giggled as she mustered at least a half-assed attempt to hide her humor at her grumbling daughter's misery behind her hand.

"Thanks for your concern, Mama. Happy to know you worry about your eldest daughter. I'm fine, by the way, thanks for asking." Kagome grumbled from her spot on the ground where she rubbed what she was sure to be a nasty bruise on her hip.

"Oh, Dear, don't be like that. If I got worked up over every trip and tumble, I would have died from a stroke before you reached 10 years old, let alone living long enough to see you go off to college." Ms. Higurashi said with a smirk on her lips and a hand on her hip. Kagome knew her mother was right, but rather than admitting it, she just shot her a sheepish smile before bounding to her feet once more to continue on her quest of loading the last of her possessions into the car.

"I'm not the clumsy." Kagome argued half-heartedly. She knew that one was a losing battle because, since she was born, Kagome Higurashi had the uncanny ability to get into trouble. Whether it would be tripping over invisible objects in the streets, running into what felt like transparent mountain sides, or even getting knocked over while standing still, Kagome had done them all. At first, her mother was like any other over protective mother hen that would coddle her over every little cut or bruise, but over the years the two had gotten used to it and decided to find Kagome's inherent clumsiness rather humorous instead. This was better for both of them since Kagome very rarely got seriously injured and her mother's over protective nature had made her almost paranoid—Kagome was certain that there was a time when her mother considered locking her up and making her the next bubble kid.

Regardless of her affinity for greeting the ground periodically while growing up, Kagome had turned into a beautiful, strong, and independent young woman. If anything, her tumbles had taught her that if life knocks you down, then you just need to get back up and continue raising hell. That was her personality in the nutshell, a kind-hearted spitfire who let nothing stand in her way.

It was because of this personality that Kagome didn't let anyone tell her getting into her dream college was impossible for someone like her—the eldest daughter of a single mother with no real financial backing (considering how the Shrine was not really known for bringing in the bacon). However, Kagome had dreamed of going to the prestigious, and unbelievably exclusive, Western Academy for Youths of Outstandingly Unique Knowledge and Advanced Intelligence—most call it Y.O.U.K.A.I for short.

Kagome had been in love with YOUKAI since she first laid eyes on the mystical campus three years ago. Located 30 minutes outside of the city, Kagome had first seen YOUKAI by coincidence when she was riding the train back from her school trip to Kyoto. It had been merely a glance since the Shinkansen sped by so quickly, but she had fallen in love.

A imposing structure one could easily mistake for a fortress stood alone on a hill surrounded by dense forestry. The landscape was pure and untouched and seemed to roam the land for miles, like someone had been protecting that specific region for centuries. An untainted land that seemed to glow with an untold power, that was what called to Kagome's very soul and demanded she figure out how to visit that magical land.

Remembering the historical characteristics of the building and its location, Kagome first assumed it was probably some ancient castle of some renowned feudal lord. If that was the case, all she had to do would be do a little research and then contact the company that owned the land. Surely, an old castle being kept in such immaculate condition would imply the premises was operating some sort of tours, right?

Wrong. Kagome looked up every "feudal caslte" that was located within and around Tokyo and she found nothing that could be her castle. If it hadn't been an old castle, what could it have been? Kagome considered the building once again and as the image flashed in her mind she assumed the thick stone walls and the high towers could have military significance, so she began looking up military bases—both from the Feudal Era to today. Still, she found nothing.

Kagome was beginning to get disappointed. She had spent weeks searching for any clue relating to the obscure building. Kagome searched online for hours at a time, typing things in such as simple as 'white castle outside of Tokyo' to complex renditions such as, 'the beautiful white fortress 28 minutes outside of Tokyo's city limits with large white towers…' It was only after her 1,000th google search that Kagome found her first clue.

She had been taking a rage break from her frantic web surfing when Kagome returned to her computer, a little calmer and munching on some pocky, when she saw her email was highlighted. Curious as to who would be sending her an email close to 2 in the morning, Kagome opened the message to see a brochure for YOUKAI. The 'College that is just for you', is what it read and there under a brief message was a picture of Kagome's castle.

Kagome nearly bit her tongue off when she began to scream in excitement, only to clamp her mouth shut a second later when she realized the time and didn't want to risk her mother coming to investigate why she was still awake when she had a math test the next day. It was on that day that Kagome learned of YOUKAI's exclusive and pretentious reputation, but she didn't care. YOUKAI was where she was meant to be and she knew it.

After three years of endless studying, more than a few fights with her mother, and a rigorous application process, Kagome finally gotten been accepted. Kagome had not only been accepted to her dream school, she was also the one and only recipient of YOUKAI's freshman scholarship—thus allowing her mother to have no complaints since tuition, supplies, and room and board were included.

Kagome was finally free. The feeling was exhilarating as she looked at the packed car, and she with one last hug for her weeping mother, Kagome was off. Unlike her mother, she didn't see this as a day for tears because she could come back to the shrine any time she wanted—and had promised to do so often. She was even coming home the following weekend to give a proper goodbye to Souta and Grandpa as they had both been unable to see her off today.

That was ok with Kagome. She loved her family and had already intended to come visit often, but why today wasn't a sad day went beyond that. Today was the day, the day for what? Kagome didn't know. However, as her heart pounded away in anticipation within her chest, Kagome knew something was bound to happen and it was going to change her life.

* * *

Golden eyes lit up with curiosity as a notification lit up the computer screen. A deadly claw tapped the mouse, and what showed up surprised him—a feat few were able to accomplish in all his long years of life.

It seemed someone was able to see through his barrier and was now desperately searching for his school. He considered the possibility that there was some mistake and that the one searching wasn't actually looking for his school, but some last minute attempt at a research paper of sorts, but when the notifications kept piling up he knew someone had seen the school and heard the call.

A flash a pearly white fang glinted softly at the idea of meeting the one on the other side of the screen, and, out of pity of course, he threw the poor creature a bone. Within minutes, he had a name, age, and, most importantly, an unexpected address.

"A shrine? Interesting."

* * *

Kagome drove down the winding countryside road in a state of complete bliss. Windows rolled down, show tunes blaring, and a cold soda in her hand, Kagome enjoyed the 45 minute drive out of town and up the hill to her new home for the next four years. She inhaled the clean, crisp air of the forrest on either side of her car and she her answering smile could only be described as ecstatic. Kagome had always appreciated the out doors, and that had caused her some trepidation about going to school in Tokyo—the thriving metropolis of metal. Here, Kagome swore the earth smelled untouched, like time stopped moving for these lands 500 years ago or something.

Unlike most city girls, who would feel lost in this atmosphere, Kagome finally felt like she was where she belonged. The farther Kagome drove into the dense forrest, the more this feeling began to grow. Something inside Kagome seemed to be responding to the land. Her heart was once again racing, her skin was tingling, and her vision was starting to go blurry. A little concerned, Kagome pulled her car over to the side of the road. It was only a one lane path, but the shoulder was wide enough to accommodate her mom's old SUV.

The second Kagome took her hands of the wheel her ears began to ring. A high-pitched noice pierced her head and made a headache start to form. Kagome had no idea what was happening. Yeah she was a klutz, but other than cuts and bruises she had never experienced any other health problems. The sudden onset of migraine symptoms plus the fact that she couldn't calm her heart rate made Kagome start to panic. Hyperventilating now, Kagome's condition was quickly spinning out of control.

A light knock on her window made Kagome spin out of her hunched over position with an airy stretch, the best she could manage all things considered. Tears still blurring her eyes, Kagome couldn't make out the figure outside her window. All she knew was that the form looked incredibly tall, so she guessed it was a man.

Regardless, Kagome fumbled to reach the button to roll down the window as her head began to pound with the magnitude of her migraine. She just barely managed to find it when she heard a silky voice inquiring about her condition.

"Are you ill?" The voice was deep and definitely masculine. Maybe someone had stopped to see if she was ok? Kagome tried to nod her head to respond, but that only increased the pain. Instead, she decided to grit out her answer between clenched teeth.

"I think so." A small whimper escaped her lips at the effort it took her to speak. This was impossible. It shouldn't feel like her head is about to explode!

"You think?" The voice asked in an incredulous manner. Not waiting for a reply, he continued on his painful interrogation. "Why are you on this road."

Kagome was trying desperately to blink the tears out of her eyes so she could put a face to the cold bastard that was badgering her. Shouldn't the next question have been if she needed any help? Unable to bear the pain of a long winded explanation, and with little patience for such things anyways, Kagome responded with one word.

"School." Kagome returned to her hunched over position and proceeded to cradle her heavy head in her hands. If the voice wasn't going to offer any help, she might as well ignore him.

"You're a student?" The question was rhetorical, but the disbelief was evident. Was he insulting her? Did she not look smart enough to the pretentious ass to be a YOUKAI student? Well, she was, and if she had it in her at the moment she would be proving to the bastard just how smart she was through a verbose verbal lashing. Unfortunately, Kagome could barely concentrate on her own thoughts let alone compose a proper comeback.

Black started to invade Kagome's vision, and she knew that only meant one thing. She probably only had a few seconds, and by the nature of the voice beside her he'd probably refuse anyways, but knowing it was her last hope Kagome fell into the dark with a parting request.

"Please, help me." The words were no more than a sigh and they fell into silence along with Kagome's conscious.

* * *

Golden eyes roamed the woods as he patrolled the school's perimeter. It was early evening and the sun had just begun to set, and the fading light of day played among the trees shadows and dyed the sky with a pinkish hue. It was peaceful and quiet, just how the daiyoukai liked it.

It was the end of August and that meant the school year would be starting in less than a week. Allowing himself a sigh at what that entailed, the daiyoukai glowered at nothing in particular as if he could already hear the cacophony of college life commotion already ringing in his sensitive, elvish ears.

Why? Why was one such as himself subjected to such nonsense year after year. Surely the young youkai could learn how to handle themselves and assimilate into human culture without his guidance. Hell, most of the students would prefer his absence over his presence—the only ones thinking the contrary were infatuated females (and sometimes males) that wished to bask in his presence.

As he was thinking of how foolish such desires would be for those unworthy of a youkai of his standing, shoulders stiffened at a familiar yet long forgotten sensation. Reiki.

Yes, there was a holy energy rolling across the forrest floor and lapping at his skin. Who would dare to show up here and release their holy energy so indiscriminately.

Pearly white fangs flashed in an infuriated snarl. Following his heightened senses, the walking image of wrath approached the parked car. A strong reiki pulsed from within the old vehicle and an eyebrow arched at how the creature seemed to be trying to contain their release of reiki, but little good were their efforts.

Slightly exasperated, yet simultaneously intrigued, the curious daiyoukai peered through the slightly tinted windows. Within, a female form was hunched in on herself. The centuries old being cared little for the creatures apparent pain and promptly knocked on the window. He needed answers.

He heard the breathy shriek and he saw her body jolt with knowledge of his presence, but what distracted him was how her face was contorted in pain. He had sensed her distress through her aura but he had not expected to find someone who looked like they were being tortured, by him no less.

As she fumbled to open the window, the daiyoukai's patience continued to wane. He had been alerted to her presence by the sheer amount of her reiki, but now the foolish creature cannot even operate a button. She had wasted his time, and that was one of the things he could not forgive in this life.

Fully prepared to skewer her with his claws, the window was finally rolled down. The youkai moved in for the kill when it hit him. Her scent. The young creature smelled of spicy reiki and the salty smell of her tears also assaulted his senses. These two scents alone would be distasteful, but underneath the smell of holy energy and distress was a pure and lovely scent. Warm vanilla and honey swirled together in a sweet scent of the heavenly concoction that was her. The delightful smell was laced with innocence that spoke to the purity of the creature's soul before him. The one he was now sure was a miko.

Momentarily distracted by how her scent was affecting his beast, the youkai composed himself once more. What was a miko, who he thought were a dying breed, entering this forrest. Anyone with knowledge of the supernatural would know who these lands belonged to and the penalty for trespassing.

"Are you ill?" The question was merely to establish the obvious, but the miko couldn't even provide a definitive answer to the simple question. Was her pathetic whimper not enough evidence of her current state?

Ignoring how that small sound had triggered further attention from his beast, the daiyoukai asked his most predominant question. Why was she here? Her answer had not been what he was expecting, either what came next.

After he had been momentarily shocked over the fact a miko had become one of his school's students, the youkai's brain began to spin. He had not expected her to ask him for help, either. One such as himself helped no one for free, but with one thought of how her scent and aura could cause disturbances on the grounds. The daiyoukai did decide it was best not to leave her.

Reaching through the window and unlocking the door, the strong youkai reached in to grab the young miko, but he received a slap in the face from her scent instead. It was a stunning force of stimulation. Gold flashed red as his beast desired to pursue the scent and female more slowly, but that was definitely a bad idea.

With little regard for the miko's modesty, the youkai threw her over one of his shoulders like a sack of rice. The only thing his mind truly registered about her physique was that she was soft and petite. Other than that, he wouldn't think about it. He just had to get the unconscious miko to the infirmary and find a way to calm her agitated aura.

The daiyoukai took one look at her car, turned it off and locked it, and then started running with inhuman speed back to the school.

Someone has a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

Kagome woke up to the sound of two voices arguing. At first, that was all she could decipher about her current condition because her eyes refused to open despite her insistence. The light of whatever room she was in reflected red through her eyelids and her fingers curled to feel the soft sheet that covered the bed she was laying on.

Kagome's head wasn't hurting anymore but there was a lingering ringing in her ears. She prayed to the Kamis that problem would go away soon because it was one of the worst sounds Kagome could imagine—she had dealt with ringing in the ears when she was a teen and had run head first into a light post, it wasn't a fond memory for her.

"What were you thinking? This is highly inappropriate?" A hard voice demanded.

"Really? I don't see what's the big deal." The friendlier of the two voices responded. There was a slight humor in the gruff voice but also a sense of authority that could not be denied.

"Don't play coy with me. I know you're behind this whole endeavor. She is a miko! Did you consider the implications of her being here?" Kagome noted how this voice sounded strangely familiar, silky in his eloquence yet distant in tone. It was her 'savior.'

Kagome was able to open her eyes by now, and after adjusting to a blinding light she found herself in a sterile, white room surrounded by a curtain. A hospital bed? The smell of anesthetic was missing but she could smell medicinal herbs and by her side did lay what appeared to be some aspirin. Deciding she should probably talk to a doctor before popping some pills, Kagome slowly and quietly sat up in her cot. She didn't want to be rude and interrupt the two's discussion, but for all she knew one of them was her doctor. A hand hesitantly approached the dividing curtain only to flinch back when she heard an abrupt shift in one of the voice's tone.

"Listen here, pup. I always think of everything, and even if I hadn't, it still wouldn't be your place to speak. Understood?" The friendly tone of one of the males had turned into a domineering rumble of a growl. Kagome had never heard a sound like it come out of a humans mouth. No, it sounded much more like a sound an animal would make. Maybe a dog?

"Father, you know I respect you, but this is crossing a line. If her power even had an affect over me, think of the danger she could cause some of the lower level youkai. She could purify them." The cold voice was barely reigning in his anger, Kagome was sure of it, but something he had said caught the attention of the previously angry conversation partner.

"Even you could feel her reiki? Truly! What did it feel like? Did it sting or tingle? I can't remember the last time I ran into a miko that could do either of us any harm. Oh, how fascinating." The second of the voices began to ramble a little in regard to mikos and youkai in the past and this is where Kagome became utterly lost. Why were they talking about superstitious things like reiki and youkai? Was it because they knew she hailed from a shrine?

A little fed up with having a lot of questions with relatively no answers, Kagome resumed her attempt at pulling back the current. When she succeeded, she found not one but two pairs of the most gorgeous golden eyes staring at her. One was an open and friendly stare filled with curiosity, however, the other could only be described as a cold and accusatory glare.

"Ah, little one. You're finally awake." The larger of the two broke the silence with a charming smile, a smile that flashed fang. The man seemed to be the older of the two and he was exceptionally handsome. A body made for battle approached her before sitting on the cot across form her and once again sending her a smile that lifted the royal purple slashes on his cheekbones. His golden eyes bordered more on amber upon closer inspection and they seemed to glow like a predator as he gazed upon her. However, none of these things were the most captivating aspect of his appearance.

Both males had shocking waves of moonlit silk for hair. The one across from her wore his in a high tail that disappeared behind broad shoulders, while the other's ran like a silver river down his back all the way to the back of his knees.

Looking at the second man, the one Kagome now knew to be the owner of the mystery voice, she decided he had a much more fierce appearance despite his slightly smaller build. Eyes of hypnotic gold stared at her with what she assumed to be contempt as two magenta strips marked each cheek like ceremonial battle paint. Another mark, an indigo crescent moon, also rested regally on his brow and added to the sense of otherworldliness about him, about both of them.

Kagome couldn't believe what she was seeing. Not only did these two devilishly handsome men look like they belonged in some 90s manga standing there in their traditional kimonos, but they also had auras of immense power. Kagome had always been good at sensing things like 'aura' or what she liked to think was just the build up of emotional energy around people, but there was no doubt that what surrounded this duo was power, ancient and deadly.

Kagome's instincts were screaming for her to run, but she had a feeling that she wouldn't be able to get very far even if she did. Instead, the little miko did what neither of the two males thought probable. She faced them head on.

"Please explain what's going on." Kagome tried to keep her question calm and controlled, but her lip still trembled due to this odd sensation she was having inside her. It was like an unknown power was welling up within her to confront the daunting auras before her.

The male who was still standing growled slightly at her authoritative tone but the older male, or the one she assumed was older, let out a bark of a laugh.

"Oh, little one, I knew you'd be interesting and you haven't disappointed me yet. I'm always right, I know, but I have to admit even I was a little hesitant about inviting a random guest to our school."

The smile on the one speak's face was genuine, but something in his words sounded too condescending and it began to rile her blood. "You speak as if this truly is a game." Kagome's voice was surprisingly cold as she faced the man before her, but it was a snarl form the moon head that got her attention.

"Impudence! You will learn your place and speak with respect to your betters, Miko." The sound was menacing and the threat of violence was left unsaid as it was unneeded.

"Now, Sesshomaru, calm yourself. The child has no idea to whom she speaks so how can she know my station?" The voice held an ancient wisdom within his calming tone, but what the male didn't know was that his station didn't matter. Kagome would have spoken that way to anyone if she felt insulted. The Emperor? No problem. Buddah? No big deal. Her mother? Now, that one she would have to think about…

"Child, I am sorry if my words offended you, that was not my intent. For sake of clarification, I shall start at the beginning. I am the Inu No Taisho, Lord Toga, and this is my son, Sesshomaru." With this Toga extended a clawed hand to his son, a hand that Kagome didn't follow as she was to distracted by the literal claws extending from his fingers. They must have been an inch in length at least.

"Our family has reigned over this land for centuries and when the humans began to grow in strength we used a combination of magic and economic strategy to sanction this land in our name. Now, it is home to the most prestigious and exclusive school for youkai and, well, now you too! Welcome to the Western Academy for Youkai, Miko-sama."

A beaming smile split the older, apparently much older, youkai's face. Hoping that the whole thing had been some poor excuse for a joke, Kagome looked to the one called Sesshomaru to call his father's bluff. All she saw on his beautifully chiseled face was a look of reluctant resignation.

Once again meeting the amber eyes that were almost sympathetic as they locked on her own pools of blue, Kagome's mind couldn't take anymore. For the second time that night, everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2: My New Roommate

**Alas, my dear friends, I do not own Inuyasha or any of their characters. If I did, Toga would have come back.**

* * *

The first thing Kagome was conscious of was how comfortable she felt. There was something soft pillowing her head and a thick and heavy cloud covered the length of her with a delightful pressure. The feeling of safety surrounded her and she couldn't resist the urge to burrow further within its heavenly depths as a content sigh slipped through her parted lips.

"Little one?" Kagome's body instantly tensed up as the deep baritone whisper met her ears. She recognized that voice instantly. That warm honeyed tone that seemed to charm you involuntarily as he unabashedly recked your view of reality with ease. Maybe if she just ignored him, he would go away…

"Little one, there is no use pretending to sleep. Youkai can hear the change in your heart rate and breathing." There was humor in the chuckle that rumbled out of the daiyoukai's chest as he looked down on the young miko resting on the huge bed while she curled around his Mokomoko.

The old Inu was currently experiencing mild feelings of conflict in regard to his decision to bring the miko to the Western Academy. Toga was not one to second guess himself usually, as years of being Western Lord provided him with boundless confidence in his decisions and his own ability to be decisive. However, even he had not known the student he was inviting would have holy powers or that she would respond in such a manner to the news of youkai existence, and seeing the innocent child so affected by their discussion yesterday, in addition to what he had heard of her condition when his eldest pup found her, Toga couldn't help but feel pity for the little one. He was the one who had turned her world upside down only a few hours ago, after all.

However, Toga's innate curiosity as an Inu wouldn't allow him to go so far as to regret his decision. In fact, he would openly admit that he was more determined to have the miko as one of his students now than ever before. Why was a miko of such extraordinary power so oblivious to youkai existence? Surely one such as herself should be able to see through any guise or charm modern day youkai use to assimilate to human society, so why had she never noticed them? Why? That was the only word Toga could think as his amber eyes assessed the miko before him. As the youkai blood running through his veins felt her limitless power, a shiver ran down both his and his beast's spine. They hadn't felt such power in a long time. A power that could actually harm him, if the miko should chose to do so. Nevertheless, as his youkai instincts told him to be hesitant and observe from a distance, a baser part of him knew the young girl was a kind soul, and that part of her drew him nearer ever still until he found himself sitting on the edge of her bed gazing down at her.

She was so tiny to house such power. Her petite frame barely extended past the middle of the bed on which she laid. A pool of midnight black surrounded the top half of her delicate looking body and drew attention to her soft, pale skin. Her eyes were closed now, as she seemed to be contemplating whether to ignore his presence or not, but he could still remember the striking blue of her gaze. Being youkai, the daiyoukai was used to colored eyes, and colored hair and skin for that matter, but never had he seen such a trait paired with the physical attribute associated with the humans of his home land. Those remarkable eyes were also slightly bigger than normal and had rounded like an innocent doe when she looked at him in wonder upon their first meeting. Yes, he liked her eyes very much as they sparkled and flashed with her inner light throughout their discussion yesterday.

As the miko began to stir and make an effort to sit up in her bed, the great Inu let slip a hint of a mischievous smile. Already the miko had caused a stir and change to the mundane and predictable daily life that was the Western Academy, and for that he was extremely grateful. The powerful Inu had been utterly bored for the past century and he was finding rather quickly that the situation with the miko was proving to be amusing and, admittedly, he was highly entertained at the prospect of what was to come next.

"Good morning, little one." Toga spoke softly to the pair of sapphire eyes that were gazing at him warily. He waited for her to assess her situation as her beautiful blues scoped the surrounding area, only to narrow when she saw that she was on a bed with a complete stranger.

Kagome had been quite shocked when she first opened her eyes. Not only was she in a different room, but the room was like something out of a fairy tale. The bed on which she laid had been her heavenly reprieve as she slept and her cloud seemed to be some sort of fur blanket, er, pillow? She wasn't sure what it was but as she ran her hand through the soft material, Kagome felt a comforting sensation wash over her. She continued to absentmindedly pet the fluff as she looked around the room, and she failed to notice how the amber gaze of a very pleased Inu was fixated on her innocent ministrations.

Eyes moving back to the said youkai, Kagome felt her eyebrows pinch and her lips purse at his chosen location.

"Do you think it proper to sit so familiarly on the bed of a sleeping young woman, or perhaps youkai have no concept of decency?" Kagome's voice had taken on her usual sarcastic tone as was common when she was becoming angry and a fake smile stretched her pale, pink lips. She didn't know if she believed the whole youkai situation as of yet, but she did know that this situation was improper. Her moral outrage, however, was only met with a barking laugh from the big Inu.

"Ah, my dear. I apologize." Toga quickly tried to reconcile with the miko as her ire began to grow. "I just didn't expect such a direct scolding so soon. Most people would be cowering in fear at the knowledge that their childhood nightmare had come true and was sitting on thier bed." Toga chuckled once more as the spitfire flung her hair back over her shoulder in haughty indignation.

"Yeah, well I'm not most people. Plus, if you wanted to kill me you probably would have already done so, and if not you, that icy bastard would have been pleased to take on the job." Kagome was uncomfortable with the situation and, as such, her temper was manifesting itself in verbal attacks. Her mother always said it would be her mouth that got her into trouble more than her clumsiness.

"Hm," Amber eyes sparkled with the fiery personality of the young onna before him. She had a backbone, and that was good considering where she was. "That 'icy bastard' is my son." Toga reminded her with a twitch of his lips at how she flinched back slightly before looking down at the fluffy mass that remained draped over her lap.

"Um, I'm sorry." Kagome really was. She knew her temper was mandating her mouth at the moment, but that was kind of rude. His son had helped her after all.

"No need to worry, little miko. He can indeed be an 'icy bastard.'" The silver inu placated her with his words and a genuine smile when she shot him a sheepish smile of her own. Kagome at least seemed a little more comfortable.

"Now, Miko-sama." Toga started off with a harder tone and Kagome instantly recognized their discussion was shifting to more serious topics. "I know you feel overwhelmed, I would be surprised if you weren't, but I think it is best we go ahead and discuss the situation we have found ourselves in. Don't you think?" A warm smile tried to assure Kagome that she was in a safe place and that what was coming next wouldn't be the end of the world. Well, not the physical world, just her personal conception of what the world had truly never been.

Taking a deep breath in and bracing herself against the head of the bed, Kagome locked determined blues onto the warm amber that was an Inuyoukai's gaze, a being she had thought impossible to exist up until yesterday. Her tiny fist gripped the warm fur on her lap before she answered his question with a definitive "yes."

Toga smiled at how brave the young one was being, and how non-judgmental she appeared to be of him or his species. Truly an oddity for her kind, the miko continued to impress him. He was about to start regaling her with a brief history of youkai and human interaction to lead up to how his school had come to be before telling her why she was there and what she was, but the warm hand gripping his Mokomoko was quite distracting.

"Of course, Miko, but first could you please release my Mokomoko?" Toga hedged gently. He didn't want her to know quite yet what she had been petting so lovingly, as he was equally worried she would be disgusted or freaked out, or quite possibly both. Toga had found he was not so adapt at predicting this particular onna's reactions as of yet—unlike his usual ability to read the entire female species like a book. Not even something as complex as a book, a letter perhaps? Maybe a detailed note? Regardless, the Miko was proving to be something like a book series and he wasn't even on the first chapter.

Big blue eyes looked at him with barely veiled disappointment as she momentarily squeezed what she assumed to be his Mokomoko to her chest, enjoying the comforting feeling of the warm, soft fur against the bare skin of her upper chest and neck. "I can't hold it for a little longer?"

The voice and image were as tantalizing as could be, and not to mention how tempting her murmured request was for the conflicted Inu, but he couldn't give in to her. If she continued to hold onto the fur like that, caressing it against her person as she were, he would never be able to finish the tale he had to tell. Hell, he was sure he wouldn't even be able to start until the beastly thing was out of her reach.

"I'm sorry, little one. It seems that doing so would leave us both distracted, and I need your full attention for this discussion." There, that excuse was reasonable, and it appeared the miko agreed as she trailed her gentle fingers down the length of his tail one more time before reluctantly giving him the mass of silvery white fluff. Toga was thankful over how easy that endeavor had been as he reached forward to pull the Mokomoko to his side of the bed, but he panicked slightly when the fur began to resist against his efforts. It seemed his beastly side was also reluctant to part with the miko. An ghost of a scowl marred Toga's face as he sent a pulse of youki through the disobedient lump of fur, and the Inu only fully relaxed when he managed to get the uncooperative thing back to its rightful position over his shoulders. Luckily, Kagome was still distracted by the loss of her 'security blanket' that she was too busy bunching up the bed's comforter in her lap to compensate for the loss to notice his pelt's brief moment of animation.

"Now," Toga began in the gruff voice a road side story teller, "let's begin."

**—**

It had taken the rest of the evening, but Toga had finally gone over everything. He talked about the history of human and youkai relations, he told her about the nature of youki and reiki (in the process realizing he didn't know much about the complexity of holy powers), and he had even revealed to the young onna that she was, in fact, a miko. The last point had dictated the majority of their discussion as Kagome had been apprehensive of such an unlikely coincidence.

The old Inu was patient though, and he went through the evidence starting with how she was able to even see through his barrier and spot the Western Academy—a feat that would be impossible for someone without either reiki or youki. He also explained how her sudden onset of migraine symptoms and her passing out was most likely her powers reacting to such a saturated dose of youki for the first time. Kagome's powers had apparently been trying to rise to her defense, but since she was so inexperienced with wielding her reiki her senses were overloaded. This led to her passing out, well, the first time. The second was more an overload of information.

Seeing the doubt still reflected in Kagome's gaze, Toga proved this to her by releasing a small amount of youki into the air, and Kagome was shocked into believing his words when a blue stream of power was flying towards her only to be blocked by a quick burst of magenta light, a light that had extended from her hands.

"I thought you said my powers couldn't rise to my defense?" Kagome mumbled as she looked in confusion at the hands outstretched before her.

"Hm, yes. At the time that was true, but now that you know of the existence of reiki and youki, your body is already more accepting of your powers and they will no longer be so suppressed." Toga noted with pleasure. It would be dangerous if she was a lone miko among all the other demon students and unable to defend herself—not that her inability to control her power wasn't another concern.

"Wow." Was all Kagome had to say. She was right, her world had been turned upside down by Toga's words, but it hadn't been an ending. No, to the young and adventurous spirit dwelling within Kagome, this felt like a new beginning. Her feeling of self-empowerment was knocked on its ass though when her stomach let out a deafening growl of hunger.

Kagome's face turned scarlet and she glanced shyly up at an Inu who was trying desperately to keep a straight face, and failing miserably. For some reason, Toga, a youkai renowned for his control, could not keep his composure around the fascinating little miko.

"Forgive me, little one." A fanged smile answered her embarrassment. "Youkai do not need nourishment as often as humans do, and I often forget that." A big clawed hand came up and patted Kagome on the head before he turned to go out the door. Glancing over his shoulder, he informed the miko of his plans for the rest of the evening.

"Your car and all your luggage are down stairs and tomorrow I will personally help you move them into your room, but for now I have laid out a sleeping kimono on that dresser that shall suffice for the night. I will go scavenge up some food for the ravenous beast you call a stomach and will be waiting for you in the dining room." Toga's eyes lit up with mirth as he watched his small tease lite a fire in the miko.

She *hmphed* and turned her nose up in the air at his slight, but a small smile on her luscious lips told the Inu she wasn't truly angry. As he turned back around to the door to make good on his promise and find her some food, he let out a low chuckle the miko's human ears would not be able to hear. Yes, Toga was very pleased with his decision to bring the miko to Western Academy, and no one could make him think otherwise. Not even the annoyed presence he sensed approaching the front door.

**—**

Sesshomaru had been stewing on his own all day. After the pathetic creature had fainted, his father had insisted he take her to Sesshomaru's house as it was the closest since he lived alone on the edge of campus instead of being corralled into a lowly communal dwelling like most other faculty members. Not only was the insult of her mere presence in his living space not enough, his father had placed the filthy creature on his bed! When he had returned form the detestable errand of retrieving the miko's car and parking it in front of the old western-style home, he had nearly lost all control and gone on a rampage after finding her disgracing his silk sheets. Sesshomaru was sure he would have to burn them along with anything else the human touched.

Why had his father done such a thing? Why was his all-powerful sire so interested in a little human? Why? That was the only thought that consumed Sesshomaru's mind all day as he worked among other staff members to prepare for the first day of classes, which was only four days away, the annoyed Inu noted.

He knew his father had a fondness for females, he made that abundantly clear throughout the centuries. Lord Toga of the Western Lands had even taken a human mate, the 'lovely' Izayoi that had resulted in the abominable whelp he was now forced to recognize as pack, Inuyasha. The princess was weak though, even to Sesshomaru's young and biased eyes, she was comely for a human onna, but her presence had caused nothing but annoyances. Let alone their pup, their mating had disgraced his dame, InuKimi, and led to her leaving the Western Land's behind in favor of her castle in the sky, consequently abandoning him in the process.

Sesshomaru watched from a young age as other powerful and influential youkai looked at his father with disgust and he seemed to bare the shame of their lineage alone, as his father was too busy spoiling his new mate and young pup. This had continued only a quarter of a century however, as the human hime was too weak to form a proper mating bond with the Western Lord, leaving her to grow old as any other human and inevitably pass. Toga had been an wreck after her passing, and the only ones he didn't frequently lash out at over the next 200 years were Sesshomaru and Inuyasha—though Sesshomaru's blunt and uncooperative personality did lead to him getting his fair share of snarling reprimands. It was disgraceful to see one as powerful as his sire fall so low because of the loss of a useless human, and Sesshomaru vowed he would never commit such a grave error.

Yet, here he was, walking up to the entry of his home—in what had original been a side buildings to the legendary Western Shiro, knowing a human onna was most likely still lounging about in his personal quarters. To this day, the fortress walls and the old family wing where his father currently resided witht the whelp were all that was left of the original structure after a human raid had ravaged over half the western lands in flames 300 years ago— a memory that still had the prideful Inu's blood boiling. It had been rebuilt, of course, but the insult remained. This house as well was rebuilt, and to his dismay it had been redone in a more western manner.

The two story building was made of alabaster stone and marble, giving it a feeling of grander as well as being practical for keeping the cold winds of winter at bay. A heavy metal door and black shutters were the only color to be added to the stark exterior, but within marble floors and finely crafted furniture rested among silver and blue decor. Despite the fact his usual attire bled crimson, those were his two colors of choice as they were the colors of his heritage. Silver could also be found woven throughout the interior design and the overall ambiance screamed of wealth and royalty, which he felt suited him well.

Pulling open the heavy metal door, Sesshomaru prepared himself for whatever unpleasantness was bound to be waiting for him within. Instead, he found his father resting leisurely on one of the black leather couches as he finished up a phone call.

With the clank of the metal door returning to its frame, Toga turned around to face his eldest pup. Sesshomaru was everything a sire could hope for in an heir. He was intelligent, a master tactician, and a formidable foe for any who dared oppose him. The pup's only flaw, however, was his pride and cold demeanor. Sure, demon lords are usually cold around others, but that frosty facade was supposed to melt away in the presence of pack, which it never did for Sesshomaru.

No, the young Inu constantly maintained an impassive expression, only ever giving way to rare instances of intense anger or partaking in a cruel smile at other's expense. Toga heaved an internal sigh at that. He had known his mother's cold and dignified nature had influenced his pup, but he had never known the extent until his mother left and the boy refused to allow any of Izayoi's warmth to touch the frozen fortress around his young heart. The way Sesshomaru was now, his son could never truly rule as Western Lord. The stubborn fool didn't understand what it meant to have something to protect, something you'd be willing to throw all your pride away for, something you'd die for.

"Father." Sesshomaru interrupted Toga's internal musings with his typical monotone.

"Yes, my boy?" Toga played with the fires of Sesshomaru's ire with the term. His eldest found it patronizing while his youngest saw it for what it was, a term of endearment.

"Where is the miko?" Sesshomaru was done playing games with his father and, though his skin crawled hearing the distasteful way his father was addressing him, he ignored it in favor of getting the answers he desired as quickly as possible.

Toga heaved a sigh at Sesshomaru's eternal business mode. Shouldn't Inu be more playful? Gracefully hauling his muscular frame off the expensive leather, Toga turned to face his pup. They were about to have a discussion he knew the boy wasn't going to enjoy, but he would submit in the end.

"Changing in your room. Thanks for lending your bed, by the way." Toga withheld a chuckle at the flash of annoyance in the golden stare of his son. He really shouldn't be teasing him when he already had to deliver upsetting news, at least upsetting for Sesshomaru, but he couldn't help himself sometimes. The boy needed to loosen up.

"I see. Where will you be moving her once she is clothed?" Sesshomaru had to grind his teeth to keep him from growling his annoyance. Barking at his father never got him anywhere and it was unbecoming behavior for one to show their alpha, even if the old fool did deserve it on occasion.

"Moving her? Ah, no. She will be staying here." Toga answered in a nonchalant manner as he strolled across the marble floors to the adjacent dinning area. Looking at the deep mahogany of the old dining room table, the older Inu wondered if he should set up plates down here of if it would be more comfortable for Kagome to eat on the back patio. It would probably be a little humid outside tonight, so he decided eating at the table would be for the best and began to pull out china to use for the meal he had just ordered.

"Staying? Do you mean to say that I will be kicked out of my bed for a second night to compensate a worthless creature?" Sesshomaru was livid. All he wanted was for his father to take the blasted onna away so he could purge his home of her presence as well as her scent. The scent that still set his beast on edge and lingered in the back of his mind.

"She is a lady, Sesshomaru. You will not refer to her in such a manner again. Do I make myself clear?" Toga's voice held all the authority a demon lord should and his amber gaze that locked with Sesshomaru's left no room for argument.

"Yes, Father. I will just find other arrangements for myself tonight." Sesshomaru resigned to being kicked out of his home for the second night in a row. At least that meant he would be out of the miko's vicinity.

"No." Toga's firm voice left a heavy feeling in Sesshomaru's stomach. It told of unwelcome orders to follow.

"You will sleep in your room. She will sleep in her's. I plan to have her reside in the guest room. I have already removed that useless bed that was for mere decoration and had it replaced with one of high quality. I think the little miko will enjoy it quite well." Toga's smile became gentle as he thought of the miko enjoying her new bed. He had ordered it while thinking of her.

"So much trouble for one night?" Sesshomaru asked but he knew that wasn't the case. He just hoped with every fiber of his being that his father wasn't going to confirm what he was thinking, but his father never did as he wished.

"No, for the school year, or at least the first semester." Toga had laid out all the plates and silverware when he heard a knock on the door. He moved through the dinning room and into the entry way where his eldest still stood frozen. Shaking his head, the older daiyoukai proceeded to pass him and then grab the food he had ordered from the school cafeteria—an establishment leagues above that of human colleges— before returning to place the boxes of food on the table.

Sesshomaru remained frozen because he didn't know what to say. Not only was his valuable space being invaded, his privacy intruded upon, and his solitude stolen from him, it was all for the sake of a damn miko! He didn't know how to take this news and an involuntary growl escaped his lips.

"Father…" Sesshomaru started only to be cut off by the bark of his old man who now bore red ringed irises.

"Are you challenging the words of your alpha, pup? The miko has no ability to control her reiki as of this time and cannot be recklessly placed to live among the other students lest she purify them the moment she loses control. Other than you, I am the only one who can be in close proximity without damage but I live in the center of campus surrounded by other youkai staff members and workers. You, on the other hand, live alone and secluded so it is only logical the girl lives with you. As alpha, I have no obligation to explain myself to you, but I have deemed to do so since this is your private residence. However, I will not accept any objections. Are we clear?"

The older's Inu spoke in a mix of snarls, growls, and barks, and Sesshomaru was ready to acquiesce when he smelled something practically intoxicating. Instead of his father's angery gaze, his eyes scanned the open concept first floor of his manor to see that the miko had come down the stairs while both youkai were too distracted arguing to notice.

Sesshomaru noticed immediately the changes in the miko's appearance and aura. Her ink black hair fell in soft waves to her waist while her petite body was wrapped in the blue silk of a sleeping kimono that was far too big for her. It was only a second latter that the younger Inu realized that was because it was a male sleeping kimono—his favorite sleeping kimono.

Sesshomaru's eyes began to bleed red at the audacity the wench had for wearing his clothes, but then something caught him off guard. The miko's body was no longer resisting her powers and her reiki was whipping out of her in gusts of magenta in response to both his father and his youki flaring from their heated discussion. The magenta wind blew both her hair and the silk of the kimono around her and exposed one of her long and shapely legs, but the most noteworthy change was her eyes. Whether it was her inner light or the illumination of her reiki within her soul, Kagome's eyes were glowing blue orbs of power as she looked at the two youkai before her.

Toga had noticed his son's distracted glance before he felt a burst of power brush against him. The young miko's reiki was indeed potent as it had even his skin tingling. Turning his head, the Inu watched as his silver hair was blown behind him by the force of her gale of reiki.

"Sesshomaru, contain your youki." Toga's order was heard and quickly followed. Both Inu's reabsorbed their youki in an attempt to calm the raging miko's powers, and it seemed to be working as the magenta winds settled and the mystical glow behind her eyes vanished.

Kagome put a hand to her head as she felt like she was about to pass out for the third time since coming to Western Academy, and that was something she was determined not to do. Placing her hand on the intricate iron wrought railing of the staircase, Kagome steadied herself.

"Little one, are you alright?" Toga's voice was filled with concern as he moved in to help the now pale onna. The fierce Inu Lord hadn't wanted her to see him like that, especially so soon, so he was a little worried she would fear him now, but Kagome seemed to be a creature that didn't know fear. Laying her delicate hand in his strong, calloused grip, Kagome let him lead her over to the dinning room table.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry, I really don't know what happened." Kagome was beginning to feel better but she still had no clue what had caused her body to react like that.

"Your reiki sensed the danger of our youki and rose to defend you. Your release of reiki was proportional to the threat our youki presented." Sesshomaru spoke with the methodical method of a seasoned professor, but he looked more like a pompous prince as he looked down his nose at the little miko. His tall frame was once again surrounded by his river of silver hair and his white kimono was only colored by splashes of red across his sleeves and collar. As he moved to fold his arms across his chest, Kagome noticed Sesshomaru also had one of those fluffy things, a Mokomoko like Toga's, except his hung over only one shoulder instead of both.

"He's right. Your body now accepts that you are a miko, that is why I am having you start your training to control your powers tomorrow. Little one," Toga smiled as he moved back to let his hand fall heavy on his son's shoulder. "Meet your new roommate and Sensei, Sesshomaru."

Silence. Kagome quickly grew uncomfortable with the idea and was hoping Sesshomaru would decline, but one glare from his sire kept him from doing just that. As the tension grew, Kagome wondered what was to come of her new situation. Not only was she starting her freshman year of college, she was discovering a whole new world. A world where she is a miko and youkai exist. Plus… her eyes slid to the imposing figure beside the friendly Toga. Her new roommate was an incredibly handsome youkai male who looked like he would very much like to kill her. Before she could linger on that thought for too long, the older Inu clapped his hand and announced it was time to eat.

They all sat down together after Sesshomaru's escape was thwarted by a steely grip around his shoulders, and Toga smiled wide as he saw something he hadn't seen in a very long time. His son was eating a meal at what could only be considered the family table. This was something he could get used to, and would if it meant he could help his son grow out of this troublesome isolation phase. It wasn't good for Inu's to be alone so often, they were pack animals by nature, and maybe the fiery miko could help his son realize that. With that thought in mind, dinner commenced.

**— **

Kagome and Sesshomaru watched as Toga left the manor for the night. Dinner had been pleasant enough since Sesshomaru's silence only mildly distracted her from Toga's funny stories. Everything had seemed alright while Toga was there, like everything would be ok, but now Kagome wasn't so sure. Now Kagome was on her own.

"Um, Sesshomaru?" Kagome started only to be stopped short as the angry Inu growled in her face.

"Who gave you permission to refer to this one so familiarly, Miko? This Sesshomaru does not remember being close to a wench like you." Sesshomaru's towering figure bent over the miko's head.

"Wench?" Kagome blanched at the insult. Well, if there was any doubt that Sesshomaru didn't like her, Kagome felt it fly out the window. Hands on her hips and lips pursed, Kagome looked right up into the face of the snarling beast and gave him what he deserved.

"Who are you calling wench? I will have you know I am very much a virgin!" Kagome screamed in her outrage. Who gave him the right to refer to her with such a filthy word?

Sesshomaru's sensitive ears rang and he was about to make the little miko regret her outburst when he noticed that she was already in the midst of doing so. It was rather curious how a human creature could turn so many different shades of red in so little time, but the smell of her embarrassment only heated her sweet scent and Sesshomaru had little patience for anything else tonight. That being the case, the aggitated youkai turned, leaving Kagome with only a parting warning.

"We train at first light. Do not be late, Miko." Sesshomaru was exhausted and he knew he wasn't done for the night—he still had some sheets to burn. Taking his first step towards the staircase, he paused as he felt a delightfully warm shiver descend his spin. Spinning on his heel, Sesshomaru barred his teeth at the brazen onna who touched his pelt.

"What are you doing?" Sesshomaru snarled in outrage. The foolish creature had gone too far as she dared to take liberties with his person! How could he allow such disrespect to go unpunished?

"Uh, ah, um," Kagome stammered. What had she been doing? Just the sight of the long length of fur draped over Sesshomaru's shoulder had reminded her so much of what Toga had referred to as his Mokomoko that Kagome had an undeniable urge to reach out and see if Sesshomaru's was just as soft. She wasn't an idiot—well, not intellectually so. Kagome could tell she just did something very rude as she retracted her hand and began to fiddle with the sleeve of her kimono.

"I'm sorry, Sesshomaru-sama. I really am, um, Toga-san let me hold his Mokomoko this morning and it had been so comforting. When I saw yours, I just kinda, you know, um, reached for it without thinking. I'm sorry." By the time Kagome had reached the end of her apology it was but a whisper, and Sesshomaru was glaring down at her with disbelieving copper eyes. He scented no deceit in her words, only her palpable repentance for her actions (and her addition of -sama to his name had not gone unnoticed), but he still couldn't believe his honorable father had let her _hold_ his Mokomoko-sama. That simply wasn't done. Youkai as great as his sire and himself that held physical manifestations of their youki rarely let anyone take such liberties as it was the ultimate sign of trust and familiarity. The only ones worthy of such actions were usually mates…

Sesshomaru's glare became harder and Kagome shivered as the room became ten degrees colder. She had no idea her stupid action would require such a reprimand.

"Then do yourself a favor, Miko, and start thinking before you act." Sesshomaru's voice was laden with disdain and the warning was crystal clear. "Your first lesson in youkai culture, don't let your human naivety and apparent foolishness get you killed. Or better yet," Sesshomaru's smirk became cruel, "Do, and save this Sesshomaru the trouble."

Kagome gulped in fear of the deadly creature before her. No, she didn't find the existence of youkai to be a scary revelation, but she was scared of this particular youkai. This one who seemed to hate her for simply being alive, for being human, for being a miko, or for just being her. It didn't matter why, Kagome just knew Sesshomaru hated her.

His message delivered and the desired affect reached by the smell of her rising fear spiked her scent let Sesshomaru know he had nothing more to say. Turning on his heel, Sesshomaru glided like a specter in white up the stairs and to the seclusion of his room. The room that was on the left end of the hall he now shared with the lowly human. His outrage over the matter, and his irritation about being unable to go against his father's orders, made Sesshomaru's usual control slip as he slammed the door of his room shut behind him. Making his message to the miko very clear: Stay Out.


	3. Chapter 3: Exploring the Bedrooms

**I DON'T OWN INUYASHA, I sold the rights in a moment of drunken foolishness (lol jk). **

* * *

With the moping daiyoukai in his room and all the dishes put away, Kagome had no other choice but to ascend the stairs and enter what she assumed to be her bedroom, at least for now. When she reached the top of the stairs her body impulsively shivered as the frosty atmosphere exuding from down the hall made her fight or flight mode kick in, and for once the young woman was favoring flight. However, Kagome heaved a sigh as she knew that leaving would do her no good. She was quite literally in a new world and she didn't know what would happen if she ran in to some random youkai in the woods while trying to leave. Plus, Mr. I Hate Humans would just see her attempt at fleeing as further justification to look down on all human beings, and Kagome wouldn't have that. The bratty youkai was going to learn that, all though some humans may be exactly what he believes them to be, the vast majority of them were not. You can't catch only a handful of bad fish and assume the whole ocean was tainted. What kind of arrogance was that?

The young miko rolled her eyes as she turned and approached the door of her room-to-be at the opposite end of the hall. For some reason, Kagome was feeling incredibly anxious. It was as if when Kagome opened this door, there would be no turning back. The previously clueless onna would be sealing her fate and her life would never be the same. A small part of Kagome feared this momentous change in events and caused her nerves to rattle so hard within her being that her hand shook as it reached for the inconspicuous brass door knob, but the larger part, the adventure seeking part, encouraged her to keep moving.

Kagome had always felt trapped in her own little world her entire life. While others were comfortable with the lackadaisical lifestyle offered within modern society, Kagome had known from a young age that such a life was not meant for her. Powerful emotions rilled within the miko since birth and the love for fun and exciting things drove the girl to peruse life to the fullest at every turn. Others saw this as 'acting out' or a 'phase' that the young girl would grow out of, but even Kagome's mother could sense that was not the case for her unique child. Ms. Higurashi had always joked that like the Grinch's heart was three sizes too small, Kagome's spirit was 5 sizes too tall for the petite girl and that led to her head living among the clouds.

Kagome knew that was a joke on her mother's part, but she had always liked the comparison. Living among the clouds became the dream of the young child years ago, to live in an entirely new world and experience everything life had to offer without the fear of falling, and that's what opening this door would be. A new world. A new life. A new adventure.

A small smile pulled at the corners of pretty pink lips as a delicate hand became steady as it gripped the cool metal with assurance and determination. With a quick turn of her wrist and one last halting breath, Kagome pushed open the door to see her new room.

Amazing. That was the only word Kagome could grasp in her muddled mind as she looked around the room. The floor was a deep mahogany that instantly gave the room a feeling of comfort and that was accompanied by the special sense of uniqueness as half the floor was covered by a thick oriental rug. The rug was of fine make, that was something even Kagome could see, but it did not scream money. The rug was an intricate design of royal and sky blue as they swirled together like the most beautiful sea of various depths. Silver also wove through the pools of color like a dancing breeze and the ends of the rug were frayed into strands of the same celestial silver color. It was beautiful, and apparently seemed to host the color scheme for the rest of her room.

The silvery white of the furniture was a stark contrast to the warm brown wood of her floors and instantly brightened up the space. A dresser, two bed side tables, and a gorgeous four poster bed were a set of pearly white color and the matching designs of vines around the legs and bases gave the space an ethereal feel. Everything was beautiful, but what completely dominated Kagome's attention was the bed. A royal blue silk comforter reminded her a deep blue cloud and the edges were rimmed in the same sky blue of her rug. Silver vines ascended the comforter like they were reaching for the heavens only to be blocked by silk pillows of the same hue. It was mystical. It was massive. It was magnetic.

Not one to deny such a pull, the young miko dropped all semblance of decorum as she launched her body like a compact missile into the awaiting master piece that was to be her bed. Giggling like a school girl, which she technically was, the young onna began to toss and turn until she was buried within the depths of the comforting colors. Something about the cool blue silks made Kagome feel like she was home, like she was safe, and those feelings allowed her body to finally relax after her mentally exhausting day as she succumbed to a deep sleep.

* * *

Sesshomaru was livid after entering his room. The feel of the miko's fingers sliding through the fur of his Mokomoko-sama stirred his beast within its cage and was enough to shoot an unwanted jolt of desire down to his groin. Sesshomaru was a demon who has needed to be in control since a young age. He would never let someone voluntarily pet his person like the proud youkai was some common house pet. Really, the miko was lucky to still have her offending hand, not to mention her life.

Golden eyes narrowed as he tried to calm his conflicting feelings of arousal and anger to no avail as the sweet scent of the miko invaded his nose. Glare zeroing in on his bed, the demon flashed over to rip the offending sheets and prepared to douse them with his poison. At least the smell of the corrosive fumes would be a welcome change to the current perfume of honey and vanilla. As the inu fisted the fine silk into his hand and was about destroy them, a bark from his beast distracted him.

_Why do you stop this Sesshomaru? _It had been nearly three centuries since he and his beast had conversed, so the beast rousing enough to bark at Sesshomaru was a surprise.

**Why do you wish to remove such an enticing existence from our presence? ** Sesshomaru raised a single silver brow at the anger and frustration in his beast's voice. If it had been centuries since him and his beast had talked, it had been a millennia since the creature had dared to argue with Sesshomaru over his choices.

_It is foul. Contaminated. _Sesshomaru growled back in response. The youkai knew the miko's scent had caught his beast's attention in the forrest but not to this extent.

**Lies. You can lie to yourself but not to me, pup. I know what that scent does to us. How it calls to ****_both _****of us. **His beast was pacing back and forth in its cage now and the snarls and growls were of obvious irritation for Sesshomaru's more logical nature and that nature's tendency to deny his more beastly urges.

_This one does not lie. _Sesshomaru's lips were pulled back into a silent snarl. His beast had not been so obstinate since Sesshomaru was a mere pup. Why was he so fixated on the miko?

The beast rolled its ruby red eyes at his other half. **If you do not lie, than you are both blind and dumb. How can you not heed her call. Surely even you know what it means, despite your resistance against your beastly side, it is still in your blood.**

Sesshomaru bristled at the insult and golden eyes narrowed at what his beast was saying as he unconsciously lowered the hand grasping the sheets. _What do you mean 'heed her call.' _The big inu lowered himself to sit on the bed as his beast continue to pace and growl.

At Sesshomaru's words, the massive inner beast blinked owlish red eyes at his other half. How could he be so slow? This is what happens when demon's don't merge with their beastly side, it goes against the natural order.

**She calls to us. **The exasperated inu sighed in resignation. This was going to take some time.

_Her scent? Other's have smelled just as well. _The stubborn daiyoukai countered. It was a stretch, but it wasn't an outright lie. There were others that smelled nearly as good as the miko, just not as good.

A growl sounded throughout his skull. His beast was having no patience with Sesshomaru this time because if the pompous pup kept up the attitude he would ruin everything!

**Her!** His beast snarled while picturing the miko when she pulled back the curtain to gaze fearlessly at the two inu males. Her raven hair was mused and her eyes sparkled as she looked at the two youkai in wonder, and the beast reminded Sesshomaru how glorious her smell had been once calm and untainted by tears.

_The miko? This Sesshomaru will heed no call of any kind from such a weak creature_. Sesshomaru gave in to the temptation to roll his eyes at his beast since they were in private. How could one such as he lower himself to feel anything physical towards the miko. She was but a mere human who was like all the other humans except with a tiny bit of power to set her apart. Even then she was nothing special.

The beast was raging now within his immaterial cage and his patience was all but expired with the pup. The beast was a being of ancient creation, a being as old as nature itself, so why did his other half insist on denying it and its instincts! The beast had lived roughly 900 years along side the arrogant daiyoukai and seen his growth in power, wisdom, and wealth. Yet, to this day the damn dog has not listened to his beast's call or advice—he just shut it in a cage and drains it for the excess youki when convenient. Well, not anymore. The pup was gonna listen to his beast this time. The fates had given them a gift, and the beast wasn't going to let his other half throw it away for something as foolish as pride.

Instead of arguing with the stubborn inu, the beast decided to take a different path. Yes, the beast might not be able to take physical control of _their _body, but the mind was its dwelling and it could influence thought without much effort.

A flood of images and memories of scents washed over Sesshomaru's mind. The miko in her car as he had first found her. A watery gaze of crystal blue when the miko first looked at him in shock through her car window. The heavenly smell of her sweet yet gentle scent enveloping him in the forrest, in the infirmary, and now in his very own room. A sweet smile as she looked at his father. A chime like laugh as she giggled at some inane joke that his father probably stole from someone else. The hint of fear that entered her clear gaze as his father left her alone with him for the night. The feel of her small hands gliding down the length of his tail.

All of the images came in quick succession, but after the memory of the miko grabbing his Mokomoko-sama, the memories became fictitious and they came slower and slower, each more improbable than the next. The young onna smiling innocently up at Sesshomaru instead of his father. A little miko reaching over to hold his deadly claws between her own delicate fingers as the two sat outside gazing at the moon. The backside of her raven head as it rested comfortably on top of his chest.

All the sudden the images went from improbable to impossible as they became even more risqué and down right lewd. The miko waist deep in a natural hot spring, the black curtain of the miko's hair split to cover both her breasts as the ends dragged across the water's surface. Her hand reaching out, inviting him with a saccharine smile. The miko standing before him wearing traditional female armor that had been battered and worn throughout her battle. A bloodied face wore a triumphant grin as the miko, who had fought bravely by his side, took hold of the big inu and pulled him in for a passionate kiss.

Sesshomaru was groaning by the last image and his erection was engorged with his heat and begging for the inu's undivided attention. Golden eyes were hooded as they looked down at the definitive sign of his arousal, and decided there was nothing else to be done but attend to the business his beast had left for him.

The inu hurriedly relieved himself of his constricting garments and laid back down on the bed, bare and throbbing. His hand once again gripped the sheets laden with the miko's sweet scent and trailed the fabric down his muscular core. A silken seduction that had his erection twitching in anticipation. His beast had already provided him with enough ammo for the deed to be done, but Sesshomaru had no idea what was in store for him.

As the dog's big, strong hand wrapped the silken fabric around his swollen manhood, the beast delivered the final blow. Sesshomaru growled out in painful pleasure as the first tug of his member was rewarded with the most sinful of displays. A miko, bare and waiting, presented her exposed heat to the proud youkai in the perfect imitation of a bitch in heat. Legs spread and her body resting on her elbows and knees, the inu felt his instinct claw at his rationality at the presentation before him. The animal in him wanted nothing more than to mount the small onna and claim her as his own, but the rational part of Sesshomaru resisted.

Fist pounding away at his still throbbing penis, Sesshomaru opened his eyes to focus on the pleasure his hand was creating rather than think about the sweet temptation that was the imaginary miko's womanly cavern. The warm, wet, and most likely deliciously tight…

A snarl ripped through Sesshomaru's lip as he neared his edge but a quite knock on the door put a momentary stop to his release. Molten gold fixed on the door and he didn't like what he found. His sense of smell quickly picked up on the miko's tempting aroma, but he couldn't figure out why she would be foolish enough to come to his room. Hadn't he made himself clear?

"Um, Sesshomaru-sama?" A wave of black locks cascaded down the side of the door as the human's head peeked through. Blue eyes shone innocently in the moonlit coming through his windows, and Sesshomaru was lost in a moment of complete distraction. How did she come to have such blue eyes?

When her head wasn't bitten off, Kagome apparently took that as the A OK to continue. A nervous and hesitant woman-child approached the bed as her eyes remained locked on the golden orbs still staring at her face. It wasn't until she spoke that the youkai seemed to regain some composure.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but there are a few things in my car that I need before I can go to sleep. Toga-san said you were the one to drive my car over here so I was wondering if you happen to know where the keys would be…" Kagome's voice trailed off. As a result of her nerves in facing the youkai so soon after being thoroughly chewed out, Kagome's innocent blues had flicked down and away from the inu's face as she tried to maintain her composure. Unfortunately for her, what waited for her down cast gaze was the realization that the inu was not only completely naked but pleasuring himself.

Kagome's eyes rounded and her face flooded with heat at her first time seeing a real naked male. The embarrassment that was running hot through her veins had Kagome about to high tail it and run, but her curiosity got the best of her. The sight was, even to an inexperienced virgin like her, arousing. Sesshomaru was leaning back on one arm as his other hand knotted in silken sheets around his manhood.

Were all youkai that big or was it just him? And did all youkai look like gods? I mean, seriously, the inu's hair was like spun silk as a thin stream of the silver strands rested against his torso while the rest fell behind him in a silver-white curtain. A torso, Kagome noted, that was deftly defined into a tight core with sexy markings similar to those on his face gracing his hips. Kagome licked her lips in an effort to combat the sudden dryness of her mouth. It was truly unfair for such a being to exist.

Eyes of shock became eyes of wonder as Sesshomaru saw the miko tilt her head to the side and examine him. The normal sweetness of her scent became slightly spicy with a hint of cinnamon, and Sesshomaru's own irritated gaze over being interrupted widened out at the realization as to why her scent was changing. The miko was aroused.

A slow smirk came to grace the daiyoukai's lips. Well, so much for innocence. She's just like any other bitch in heat. Plagued by the lingering images of his beast and the need to reach his own fulfillment, Sesshomaru thought it was only fair that the source of his predicament helped him solve his problem. It was what Sesshomaru did best, after all, using people.

"It's not polite to stare, Miko." The inu's voice was a purr, deep and masculine, and it sent a shiver down Kagome's spine. It was the sound of a predator and with no one else around, that would make her the prey.

At the realization that she had actually been staring, Kagome blushed impossibly harder and tried to cover her face with her hands.

"Um, I'm sorry. I just needed the keys. I'll, uh, leave you to it." The miko turned to run but a strong hand was wrapped around her feminine wrist, the hand on which the daiyoukai had previously been reclining. Now sitting at the end of the bed to keep his captive contained, Sesshomaru's inu playfulness made itself known.

"Now, now, Miko. Where are you going?" The purr continued and it was accompanied by the inu running a clawed thumb in circles over the back of the onna's shackled hand. "You were the one to interrupt this one, so would you be so kind as to," The daiyoukai gave a suggestive pause as he spun the miko to face him and his still lively manhood. "lend me a hand."

Sesshomaru's smirk grew as the miko gasped and looked at him in outrage. "Last I checked, you already had a hand you perverted dog! Two of them. Why would you need me?" Kagome let out a surprisingly good imitation of a growl that had Sesshomaru's beast panting.

The daiyoukai was slowly letting go of his more reserved nature as the miko's heady mix of outrage and arousal spiked her scent and it surrounded him like an intoxicating fog. She was so close now and so warm beneath his fingers.

"That's where you're wrong, Miko. This Sesshomaru is currently in this state because of you." Sesshomaru emphasized his 'condition' with a pump of his fist and a small hiss between barely parted lips. It was true, and he would hate himself for it, just not right now.

"Me?" The miko stopped resisting his hold and looked between the lust filled gaze of the demon down to the passion filled member he was holding and back again. "You're like this because of me?" Kagome's voice was tiny and spoke to her disbelief, but Sesshomaru knew just how to settle her doubts.

"If you don't believe this one's words, touch it for yourself and find out." Kagome watched as the regal daiyoukai released his pulsing length to lean back on both his arms, the used sheets falling over one thigh and making him look like a sculpture of the Greek Adonis.

Kagome swallowed reflexively at the sight. She had never touched a guy like that before. Hell, she had never seen a real penis before, but now she was getting permission to touch someone Kagome was pretty sure could be called walking perfection (only in the looks department though, as his personality was still shit).

Thinking she may never have such an opportunity again, Kagome decided she had nothing to lose. Looking down at the daiyoukai's arousal, the miko wondered what was the best way of going about 'it,' but with all other options putting her in an awkward position she decided down on her knees was the way to go.

The dog demon watched in heated anticipation as the hesitant miko willingly placed herself between his thighs. Fingers splayed delicately on top of Sesshomaru's muscular legs and he decided to make it easier for her by spreading himself more, welcoming her to proceed.

Kagome's face was scarlet as the widening of the youkai's legs gave her a clear view of his lively length, but she had already made a decision. A tentative hand hovered over the swollen head, and steeling her nerves Kagome stroked one sure finger down the length of Sesshomaru's arousal.

An airy sigh slipped past the daiyoukai's lips and Kagome guessed that meant her actions were well received. Becoming a little more daring, the miko wrapped her hand around the base, a little surprised to discover she couldn't fully grasp it, and gave a tug similar to the one Sesshomaru had done when he requested she 'lend a hand.'

A throaty rumble was her response as one of the inu's hands wrapped around her own and pumped it at a faster pace. Once she was at a satisfactory pace for the youkai, Sesshomaru left her to pleasure him as his silver head fell back in a deep groan.

Kagome was riveted by what she was seeing. Not only was she oddly enjoying the feel of the thick member she was handling, the little miko was loving the vision of a supposedly human-hating youkai becoming putty in her hands.

Deciding it might be fun to see his reaction, and a little curious about the act itself, Kagome dared to lean forward and liked the demon from the base of his shaft all the way up to the head.

A snarl broke through the silence as Sesshomaru's head snapped back up to look down at the miko with red threading through his golden gaze. Snarl still curling his lips, Sesshomaru looked on as the miko stared up at him in shock. When he did nothing further, Kagome realized that what she had done might not have been a bad thing.

Slowly, with her eyes never leaving the predatory gaze of the youkai before her. The young miko rolled her tongue over the head of his erection before circling the mushroom shaped tip completely with her hot tongue. The reaction was instantaneous as a deep growl rumbled within the demon's chest and a clawed hand threaded through Kagome's wavy locks to hold the back of her head.

Needing no further encouragement, the miko gave one more small lick to taste a salty bead of precum before swallowing as much of Sesshomaru's length as she could manage. His cock was hot and heavy in her mouth and her tongue roamed over every inch that she could. The little miko even maintained a grip on the remainder of his shaft and pumped his length in time with her head as it bobbed up and down the youkai's erection.

Sesshomaru was near completion once again. No demonness had ever pleasured him in such a way before (like he would risk it with those fanged bitches) and the feeling was no short of euphoric. The inu's grip tightened in the miko's soft hair as he pulled her a little farther down on him. He was so, so close.

As his hooded gaze fell to the miko, Sesshomaru wondered why he felt something was wrong. The moist heat of her mouth was providing him with pleasurable stimulation, but the miko's actions seemed off. No matter, Sesshomaru was on the edge of his climax. The miko was still working him over furiously and he moaned out loud when she delivered a rather strong suck to his sensitive head. He was there, any moment now and Sesshomaru would…

Golden eyes snapped open.

* * *

Sesshomaru was snarling (what else was new). The fuming daiyoukai paced in the confines of what used to be his refuge, his one place of guaranteed solace on this damn campus, his bedroom. The room Sesshomaru had painstakingly decorated and arranged to match his personal taste used to be as perfect as he, but after a certain pest had invaded the whole room felt infused with the reminder of her insufferable presence.

The whole room was saturated with the irritating scent of the miko from the floor her bare feet had touched to the expensive downing of his own bed. Since the onna had slept in his room for an entire night and then spent most of the day sitting on his bed, that spot was the source of a majority of the noxious fumes as it perfumed the air around it. Even after divesting his bed of all its dressings and finally deemed the faded scent manageable enough for sleep, the Silver Inu had fallen asleep on his bare bed expecting his usual silent night's rest. That hadn't happened.

Apparently the heady scent of warmed vanilla and honey that remained on the bed was strong enough to stir his beast while Sesshomaru was sleeping, since that was when his control was the weakest, and his instinctual half thought it appropriate to use the filthy human's scent to fuel its depraved fantasies. Why else would he of all people have such a dream of the miko?

The prideful demon was disgusted with his baser half. Was he like his father that couldn't keep his tail between his legs in the presence of even the most unworthy of females? No. Sesshomaru knew that wasn't the right conclusion. His beast had never taken an interest in any females, demon or otherwise. So why was he so intrigued by the miko? Was it simply her mouth-watering scent? These answers would be easy to answer if his beast would just speak to him, but for once it was his beast doing the ignoring as the great white dog sat with his back to Sesshomaru. The beast was probably pouting because Sesshomaru had regained control and woken up right before the 'good part' of the dream. The debauched demon.

A clawed hand aggressively racked through the silken river of his hair as the daiyoukai threw the mass behind his shoulder. _I guess I will need to procure a new mattress. _

The thought of going through the trouble all because of a little miko made Sesshomaru's blood boil, and he glared through his bedroom door down the hall and, hopefully, into the soul of the nuisance. His glaring contest with a door was broken only when the petty demon noticed the first rays of morning sun shinning through the crack of his royal blue curtains. Perfect.

Sesshomaru smirked as he stood to dress for the day. It was time for the miko's lesson, and when she didn't show up the dog demon would say she wasn't serious enough to be his student. No, he couldn't really dismiss the irksome creature's training, not without disobeying his father's orders. Instead, he would just take his time to bully the little onna. She had a temper from what he could tell, but a few cold jabs from his icy dagger of a tongue and the pathetic creature would be weeping and running to his father to find another teacher. That was all fine with Sesshomaru, hell, its what he hoped would happen. He will follow his orders like a good soldier, but no one said he had to be nice to the miko.

The inu youkai's smirk remained on his face for an unusual length of time as he descended the stairs in his streaming silks of white and red. He had to give up his armor in this age, once again ordered by his father for the comfort of the students, but he had refused to part with his swords, Bakusaiga and Tenseiga. His two swords were more important to him than anything on this earth, and they would remain secured to his hip with his traditional obi of yellow and purple. Of course, both him and his father still kept their Mokomoko-samas by their sides as it was physically uncomfortable to be without their youki infused pelts. Thinking of his Mokomoko and the wench's brazen actions the night before set Sesshomaru's teeth back on edge. How he wished he had snapped at her for such disrespect.

No matter, the daiyoukai was pleased knowing that he would more than likely get to take out his anger on the miko as she fails to show up for training…

Golden eyes narrowed at the sight that greeted the younger daiyoukai when he opened his front door. There, still in his favorite sleeping kimono, stood the miko as she sat on the ground while watching the rising sun.

The damn wench ruined his plan before it could even begin. How did she wake up on time? Weren't all humans slovenly slugs that knew nothing of punctuality, especially in this era. Moreover, how did the miko manage to slip past his sensitive youkai senses and beat him outside without him knowing? Sesshomaru's aggravation at the onna was mounting and he was about to unleash a verbal lashing, verbal since it wouldn't be prudent to let his whip fly just yet, but the miko caught him off guard once again.

Her steadily growing reiki must have sensed his presence as when she turned around she didn't seem surprised to see him standing there. In fact, her small face split into a breathtaking smile as sparkling pools of blue locked with confused molten gold. Hoisting herself up from her position on the ground, Kagome turned to face the somewhat wary youkai. The onna's behavior was too far from the norm in his presence and too close to his beast's fantasy so the inu braced himself for some form of sneak attack or trickery. Instead, Kagome surprised the youkai further as she lowered half her body into a deep and respectful bow.

"Sesshomaru-sama, I would like to apologize once again for my rude behavior last night. I know my lack of knowledge in demon etiquette is no excuse, but please know I truly didn't mean to cause any offense." The miko maintained her bow for one beat longer before straightening slightly to make eye contact for her next words.

"Also, I've had time this morning to reflect on last night and all that's happened, and I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot. It must be awful to have someone barge in on your life and suddenly have to take on a student such as myself with no prior knowledge or training. I can understand how that is unfair to you and how it could explain your anger towards me. However, please know that I didn't have much say in the matter myself and it was not I that chose to be thrust upon you. However, with that being said, I would like for us to make this as comfortable as possible for the both of us, so I promise to be a good roommate and student if you could just be willing to give me the chance."

After her well delivered speech, the miko remained standing with an unflinching demeanor. It wasn't particularly forceful, but it was a firm presence that had the daiyoukai begrudgingly acknowledging her efforts. It took a lot of guts and more than a little backbone to say such things to one such as himself, and her words had been logical in their analysis of the situation. The miko hadn't chosen to annoy him with her presence and in some ways she was the victim in this endeavor as his father brought her here under false pretenses. Not to mention, Sesshomaru was a powerful demon with a long history of war and politics under his belt, and even he had witnessed few so readily admit their own faults while still maintaining their pride and dignity. If anything, the dog general could recognize that.

With a sigh weighing heavily behind his sealed lips, the daiyoukai looked over the onna once more. He had been so prepared to torment her until she left of her own volition, but perhaps he could give her a chance. The daiyoukai hadn't interacted with any humans for roughly half a century now (his father handled all the human politics), and maybe he could learn something about the outside world and see how far the pathetic race had come. While he was at it he could also try to discover why his beast seemed to fixated on the strange onna. Curiosity always killed the inu. Knowing this would probably be the first time he'd later come to regret his decision, the daiyoukai set his expression into his usual impassive mask and gave his typical "Hn."

The miko's eyes lit up at the acknowledgment as she had expected the big dog to dismiss her as easily as he had last night. Her apology had been genuine, as Toga had told her how demon's could scent deception, but it had really only been a one time offer. Kagome did want to play nice but she was no pushover. If the big bad doggy demon had decided he didn't want to deal with her even after she had thrown him a bone, she would live her life without caring how it affected her new roommate. Now, however, it seemed that she wouldn't have to resort to such things.

"Alright, then I'm all yours Sesshomaru-Sensei!" Kagome's lyrical voice chirped as she gave a sad imitation of a a military salute, but the stiff shouldered youkai didn't bother to critique her efforts. No, he was too busy having an internal barking match with his beast after the miko's words had led to the beast sharing with Sesshomaru some vivid imagery of what those words could possibly entail.

* * *

AN: Hello everyone! Thank you for reading this story. A special thank you to everyone who has taken time to leave a review! Reviews help keep me motivated and help me post new chapters faster since I feel like people are actually waiting on them.

Only not I really have is that a few people have asked to make sure that this is a SessXKag Fan Fiction. The answer is **YES**. Please don't be worry, the two stubborn fools will end up together in the end. Toga is just a flirt and whether or not he develops feelings hasn't been decided, but nothing sexual between the older youkai and little miko will occur. Might try that in another fic though as I kinda like the pairing, but that can be discussed at a later date lol.

Thanks again for reading! See you next time.


	4. Chapter 4: The Tour

**I. Do. Not. (Though I wish I did) Own. Inuyasha**

**Quick AN:** Some of you have voiced your concerns about the pairing of this story. I will say once again, yes, this is a SessXKags fan fiction, but I reserve the right as author to include as many or as little romantic interests as I deem necessary to make this interesting. If that is going to bother any of you, I fully understand and think it's best you don't continue to follow this story. I appreciate you sticking with me this far and I apologize if this comes as a disappointment to you. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

* * *

Sesshomaru was confused. Sitting behind the magnificent mahogany desk in his office, the daiyoukai glared at the file before him. In it, there was countless records of his new student, Higurashi Kagome, and nothing in the file surprised him, yet everything shocked him— hence his confusion.

As if the defiant little thing insisted on tearing down all his preconceived notions of humans and mikos alike, the onna continuously did things that went against Sesshomaru's belief. First, the miko had literally shocked him with a power that the inu youkai had not felt in centuries, let alone with such magnitude. Second, the human had been humble and respectful to Sesshomaru after her slight against his person on her first night in his home, and has continued such behavior since that day despite the Inu's rigorous training method. He was by no means a coddling teacher, but the miko took everything the big demon dished out, and he respected her for it, dammit. Sesshomaru knew battle-hardened youkai soldiers who had cried under such strict tutelage.

Third, and most damning of all, the miko actually impressed Sesshomaru on a daily basis with her ability to absorb information and put it in to practice. What should have taken months to learn for any normal being had only taken the miko a matter of three days to master. Her reiki bents to the little onna's will as if it were second nature now, and if the control over her power wasn't impressive enough, the miko's pool of reiki seemed limitless. For three days the onna played with and manipulated her holy energy and for three days Sesshomaru watched in (hidden) disbelief as her light never faltered. Her energy never drained, and the daiyoukai knew that if this had been 500 years ago, the Inu wouldn't have hesitated in killing such a potential threat as the onna was turning out to be.

If one could consider the ever smiling female a threat. Yes she had a temper, but the Inu youkai was learning that the miko didn't rile easily. It was only when certain buttons were pushed that the indignant flame of righteousness burst to life in the onna like a raging inferno and those in her path of mayhem better duck and cover or suffer the consequences.

So far Sesshomaru had discovered two of her buttons, being called 'wench' and using 'human' as an insult. Those two particular sensitives of the miko had been discovered on the very first day and even Sesshomaru deemed it not worth inciting the miko's rage by calling her thusly. Instead, the daiyoukai did his duty and trained the miko ruthlessly for three days straight. Besides breaks for meals, the the unlikely pair spent every moment on the front lawn meditating, lecturing, and practicing, and as of yesterday the demon instructor deemed the miko safe enough to attend classes with other youkai.

Now, as the confused Inu stared at the onna's file, he realized her prowess as a student should have never been underestimated. Besides the trip and tumble here and there (literally, her record included some quite fantastic accidents surrounding the miko on school grounds), the onna embodied scholastic discipline and overachievement. Teachers sung her praises and fellow students commended her in peer evaluations. The printed proof before him rallied against all Sesshomaru's views of the inherent weakness, stupidity, and general ineptitude of human kind and that bothered the proud daiyoukai.

No one human, especially a little onna he could practically hold in one of his claws, should be able to obliterate such long held beliefs in a matter of days. No, the miko must be up to something, a devious plot to infiltrate their world and purify youkai from existence once and for all. Yes, that must be it.

The demon growled as green poison dripped from his claws on to the miko's smiling picture as he destroyed the dubious information in her files. Sesshomaru didn't know how the creature had learned to hide her deceit so well or what exactly the human had planned, but the daiyoukai was determined to find out— by whatever means necessary.

* * *

"So, little one. I hear you're cleared for youkai interactions now?" The deep rumble of the older daiyoukai's voice trailed from the front entry to the dining room where both Sesshomaru and Kagome had been sitting down for breakfast (a habit formed due to their strict training schedule), and golden eyes narrowed as the little miko squealed and rushed over to jump into the bigger Inu's arms, surprising both daiyoukai in the process.

"Toga-san!" Kagome had missed the big demon's friendly face desperately the past three days, and could anyone blame her? The miko's only companion's cold demeanor had been wearing down on the onna's friendly nature since day one. She had always been a lively girl, one who desired to talk and laugh with those around her, and it hadn't taken Kagome long to realize Sesshomaru, well, let's just say he didn't share her particular inclinations nor appreciate them.

A warm smile and comforting human—youkai—contact was all it took to raise the miko's spirit after her days of hard work, and a breathtaking smile stole her lips as she looked up at the old doggy demon. Amber eyes reflected the Inu's mild shock at the onna's aggressive welcoming, but he had no complaints as he shifted to place the tiny thing back on the floor.

"Well, well. What a grand welcoming. Sesshomaru, my boy, your turn!" Toga turned to his son with his arms spread wide and both sire and student laughed as Sesshomaru snarled back his objection. "Oh come now, when's the last time you hugged your old man?" The ancient being pouted as he led the miko back to her spot at the dinning room table.

Sesshomaru mumbled something about how his hands desired to _hug_ his sire's throat as he took his plate and retreated back in to the kitchen, away form the annoyance he called a father. The remark had been too quiet for Kagome to hear, but she could tell the friendlier daiyoukai found it deeply amusing. Toga chuckled softly as he sat himself down next to the little miko before he locked his amber gaze back on Kagome's curious blues.

"Mhm, good morning, little miko." A fanged smile made Kagome blush as she looked back down to her plate. There was something about how Toga spoke with such confidence and allure that lead to the miko's cheeks being inevitably heated, but she could tell there was no real intent behind those words so Kagome often just ignored it.

"Good morning, Toga-san." Kagome chirped as she regained her composure. The school cafeteria had sent over blueberry pancakes this morning and now that Toga had returned, the miko was practically giddy. The big dog had been a sense of comfort for Kagome when she first arrived in this strange world and she also knew that the centuries old male would never fail to be jovial company. She could see it in his eyes now, the demon had something planned for today and Kagome was sure it would be fun!

"How are you? My son didn't scare you too bad with his archaic teaching methods now did he?" They both heard a growl from the other room and Kagome giggled.

"No, actually. Sesshomaru-sama may be a little, old-fashioned, with his methods, but I found him to be a very good teacher." Kagome smiled gently as she reflected on her time with the younger of the two daiyoukai. "As long as I paid attention and did as I was told, I found the tasks assigned to me were both manageable and necessary for me to grow in my understanding of reiki." The miko laughed out loud then at a particular memory of one of the few times the Inu-sensei had lost his temper with her.

"I would even say his refusal to put up with nonsense or excuses is quite commendable."

Kagome had been physically and mentally exhausted after two days of the daiyoukai's reiki management courses and she had become quite irritable. Sesshomaru was describing to her the foundation of making defensive barriers when Kagome just snapped. It was 8 o'clock in the evening, she hadn't eaten dinner yet, and after her pathetic excuse of a barrier disappeared for the millionth time, the miko listed every reason why she should be allowed to eat and rest before trying again tomorrow. Her Inu-sensei, however, called her a quitter and ascribed her weakness to being human.

Kagome wouldn't stand for that. The human hater was going to see that not only was she not weak, oh no, Kagome was strong. In her defiance, the miko practiced for three more hours until she could cover Sesshomaru's entire home in a solid, magenta barrier. When she had finally managed to do it and she released her hold on the reiki force field, a triumphant and haughty smile commanded her lips as she turned to gloat in the Inu's face. She hadn't been expecting her sensei to be smiling back, well, smirking as he walked past her and told her he could cover the whole forrest with his barrier. Smug bastard.

Toga watched as the miko reflected on some pleasant memory and he was intrigued that such a fond memory included his son. A sly smile flashed at the possibilities this new relation could bring for his son and heir, but Toga hid it fast enough the miko didn't see the wheels turning in the old general's brain.

"What words of praise for one who called him an 'icy bastard,' just a few days ago." Toga smiled as the little onna blushed and made a noncommittal shrug as she took another bite of her food. Amber eyes fixed on a drop of syrup that began to roll down the human's chin before she used her finger to bring the sweet liquid back to her parted lips, a pink tongue darted out to clean the digit of the sticky substance and the Inu felt his claws twitch.

"I don't remember saying he wasn't." The miko shot a saucy smirk at the smiling daiyoukai before standing up to take her dirty dishes to the kitchen. This is why she liked Toga being around, the natural and witty banter was comforting to Kagome in this strange world. Made her feel like her whole life hadn't changed over the course of a week, just a mighty big part of it.

The deep, throaty chuckle of a male alerted Kagome that someone was standing behind her as she placed her dishes in the sink and her body impulsively jumped at the shock. Whipping around, she saw Toga towering over her.

"I would have to agree, little one" The dog whispered with mirth dancing behind his amber eyes as he bent down to breath a warning into the miko's ear, "but you might wish to be careful saying so out loud." Just then, a surge of youki filled the kitchen.

Amused amber and startled blue eyes looked to their right to see a very displeased demon entering the kitchen. Molten gold flashed like steel as he assessed the two standing a hair's distance apart and the guilty expression on the miko's face. His father had been sound-proofing the space with a transparent barrier so Sesshomaru could only see, not hear, the couple's exchange from the corner of his eye as he had passed down the hall, but he saw enough to know he didn't like it.

This unseemly behavior between the two would not be allowed under his roof. Sesshomaru could live with his sire's penchant for flirting every god damn minute of every god damn day in every god damn place but not in _his_ home. Even if the miko had invaded his sanctuary, a sanctuary it would remain, and seeing his sire drooling over the onna was not Sesshomaru's idea of solace.

As if sensing his son's irritation, Toga's smile became mischievous as he looped a strong arm around the onna's slim waist. "Welcome back, son. We were just talking about going out for a tour of the school, would you like to join us?" The older demon squeezed the petite miko to his side and he had to choke back a bark of a laugh at how his pup's youki flared. _Well, well, they seem to be getting along better than I suspected. _

Kagome's confusion was reflected in the depths of her azure gaze as she looked up at his sire, and this did not go unnoticed by the younger daiyoukai. Sesshomaru knew his father was lying about the nature of the two's conversation and that knowledge managed to make his beast even more curious as to what exactly they had been discussing.

"Hn, why would this Sesshomaru waste his time touring a campus he helped create?" To the miko's ears, the deep baritone of Sesshomaru's voice barely managed to conceal his true feelings as his usual icy tone related the absurdity of such a question, but to his father's practiced senses the irritation and anger simmering below the surface of such forced stoicism were quite evident.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe to take a look around. Who knows, you may discover something you've never seen before." The hidden meaning behind Toga's words was lost on the two before him, evident by the blank stares directed his way_. Oh, goodness, these two children are going to be a handful. _

"Suit yourself," Toga directed Kagome back out of the kitchen as the daiyoukai glanced at his son over his shoulder. "We will just have to have some fun all by ourselves." A wicked smile accompanied by his sire's rich timber foretold of nothing good to come as the two walked out the kitchen door, and before Sesshomaru knew it a vicious snarl was being ripped from the inu's throat.

* * *

"And this is the school cafeteria. Here you will find a wide assortment of foods from across the world to cater to our international students but there are plenty of Japanese dishes as well." Kagome looked up in awe at the 'cafeteria,' baffled that Toga could refer to the magnificent Pagoda (note at bottom) as something so mundane. Like the other buildings they had visited during their tour, the exterior exemplified the innate grandeur of ancient Japanese architecture. Reds and golds accented the wooden building as the stacked roofs ascended towards the heavens. The five story building's historical design filled Kagome with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia—as had every other building before it. Growing up on a shrine, the little miko found comfort and solace in such designs while others of her generation saw rigidity and stale tradition.

The interior, however, held a hodgepodge of rooms available for various dinning experiences. On the first floor, students were greeted with a traditional entry way with warm wooden floors, comforting lighting, and an information desk. Here, students could ask about the different floors, what was on the menu for the day, or make reservations.

Behind the entry, the building hosted a western style cafeteria on the left, buffet style with linoleum floors and large group seating sections, and on the right a more traditional dinning area served Asian cuisine while students ate their meals on a tatami platform that hosted various sizes of low tables with cushions for sitting. More ethnic food options were available on the second floor through both food stalls and tiny restaurants. The third floor was predominantly a grocery store, the only one on campus, for students who wished to cook their own meals but there were also a few cafes and lounge areas on this floor so students could come have a more relaxing meal by themselves or with a few close friends.

These first three floors were open to all students and faculty from 5 am until 1 am, but the fourth and fifth floor were more exclusive. The fourth floor was reserved for banquets and events that clubs or school organizations had to book months in advance, and the fifth floor, well, most students never stepped foot up there. The fifth floor was a 5 star restaurant that catered to prestigious guests, such as visiting youkai royalty or some of Toga's human business partners. The only hope a regular student had for tasting the famous culinary skill of the restaurant's ancient youkai chefs were if a student did something of great renowned that a teacher or staff member felt inclined to reward or if the student returned as a teacher—either of these cases only presenting themselves once or twice every hundred years or so.

Toga was insistent that Kagome, as the sole scholarship student and first human to enter YOUKAI's campus, deserved to eat at the infamous restaurant, aptly named 'Taste of Heaven,' but the little miko declined. Kagome was feeling extremely overwhelmed by all the information and significance such a visit would entail, and she was sure eating there would be wasted on her. She was so nervous justing thinking of being in the same building as such an establishment that Kagome knew she wouldn't be able to taste whatever heavenly dish they deigned to give her. Instead, Kagome pleaded with the stubborn inu to eat in one of the less formal cafeterias on the first floor. Toga resisted at first, but when he sensed the onna's rising panic he decided to oblige her request.

As soon as the pair walked in to the Asian cafeteria on their right, a gruff voice could be heard barking at a poor cafeteria lady. "What do you mean there's no ramen?" Kagome's eyes searched for the clearly outraged patron and, with the place nearly empty, she quickly found him. A ruffled mane of shockingly silver hair covered the young male from head to lower back, but since Kagome was already used to such coloring that had very little shock value. Oh no, her attention was fixed on the cute and fluffy doggy ears that twitched in agitation on the male's head. An irresistible urge to touch them filled the little miko but a growl resonating next to her scared that thought right out of her pretty little head.

"Inuyasha!" Toga's tone was filled with authority and Kagome forced herself not to laugh at how the dog's ears flattened to the side of his head before the boy turned around. Guilty amber eyes turned and the miko gasped at the startling similarities between the young male and the only other youkai she knew personally. If this boy wasn't related to Toga, Kagome wasn't Japanese.

A clawed finger beckoned the sullen youth forward as a heated glare weighed heavily on the boy's shoulders. In an effort to avoid his father's displeased stare, Inuyasha glanced to the side, inadvertently catching the miko in the midst of staring at him.

"Keh, what wench, never seen a hanyou before?" Inuyasha growled, immediately becoming defensive around the strange onna. Even after all their social advancements, youkai were still prejudice towards the mixing of youkai and humans, making blatant and ruthless discrimination against hanyou all too common. Being born from one such union, Inuyasha was used to the nasty stares and hatred directed at him for simply existing, but the brash male had royal youkai blood running through his veins and this gave Inuyasha the confidence he needed to face anyone who dared to belittle him, with force when necessary.

"Hanyou? What's that?" Thick ebony waves rolled down Kagome's side as she tilted her head in her confusion, leading both Inu and miko to stare at each other in mutual confusion at the other's confusion.

Taking a good look at the onna now that he had calmed down, Inuyasha saw no hatred or disgust reflected in the deep pools of blue that continued to stare at him. Yes, she was staring, but her scent only held curiosity, not prejudice. Amber eyes widened when the onna raised her hand hesitantly before giving a loving pet to one of his dog ears.

Kagome had tried to resist, she really had, but when the boy before her looked at her with his amber eyes filled with such pain and anger the miko unconsciously sought to comfort him. It should have been a pat on the shoulder, possibly but not preferably the head, but she was so close to the object of her earlier fixation Kagome couldn't help herself. She just had to see if those ears were as soft as they looked.

"What the hell, wench!" A flustered hanyou jumped out of the miko's reach and blinked at her in bewildered outrage. No one had touched his ears in centuries, not since his mother had passed away.

"Pup, watch your tongue!" Toga barked at the boy's rude behavior, but a small smile pulled at his lips. This miko knew no fear, and this could possibly be the first time his boy was meeting someone who held no antagonism towards him due to his genetic heritage. Toga watched as the miko made a hasty apology before luring the boy close enough to commit the offense a second time. Heat flared in his pup's cheeks but, just like his brother, the boy could not fool his father. There was no bite behind Inuyasha's bark as the two began to argue like long lost siblings. Once again, the ancient Inu was certain that inviting the miko to his school was the right thing to do, evident by the small smile that continued to grow on his youngest's face while he teased the onna standing in front of him.

* * *

"What do you mean she ate him?" Toga barked as the trio stood outside the cafeteria. They all had eaten together and Kagome was quickly coming to enjoy Inuyasha's company just as much as Toga's. The 'hanyou,' as she now understood to mean half-demon and half-human, was a little rough around the edges, but when Inuyasha left to get something to drink Toga subtly explained to her how most people looked down on hanyou's and this led to his defensive behavior. The boy didn't know who to trust.

"What does he mean by, 'she ate him'? He can't mean it literally, right?" Kagome leaned into Inuyasha's side as she whispered in his ear. At first, Inuyasha stiffened at the unexpected contact but he relaxed after a second. He was already getting used to the strange onna's familiar behavior. After his father had explained the situation and how Kagome was going to be the only human student on campus AND that she was a miko, his sire had asked Inuyasha to help watch over her. It was possible the lively onna would face the same type of discrimination as him, maybe even worse. It was strange, but the idea that Kagome, the first person to never show him an ounce of disdain for being what he was, would be in danger for what _she_ was had the Inu-hanyou's protective instincts rising to the surface. Who knew over the course of one meal a little onna could weasel her way through all his walls?

"Damn right he can. Seems an old bat youkai from the history department ate an intern after he dropped some historic relic." Inuyasha smirked as Kagome covered her mouth in shock.

"I thought bats mostly ate fruits and insects though?" The tone of wonder paired well with the confusion clouding the miko's gave as she turned more completely to face him, and Inuyasha couldn't help but laugh at her. The girl really knew nothing of youkai.

"Key, maybe normal bats. Youkai bats are nasty little fuckers. Closer to what your modern culture calls 'vampires,' but not only can they suck you dry they can also unhinge their jaw and swallow you whole." A shiver racked the younger Inu's frame as he remembered a close encounter with a bat youkai not too long ago. Yeah, nasty little fuckers.

"Oh," Kagome's blue eyes rounded in shock at this new piece of information. "So tall, handsome, sparkling in the sun vampires don't exist?" A sheepish smile spread across her face as Inuyasha groaned at her not-so-subtle pop culture reference.

"Oh, no. Friendship's over. I can't believe you're a Twilight fan?" The blatant disgust filled his amber eyes as the hanyou seriously looked like he was regretting the loss of his first friend, but Kagome would have none of that. She had felt a connection with Inuyasha from the moment they met and there was no way she was letting her first friend in this strange world get away that easy.

"Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad." Kagome laughed as Inuyasha turned away form her, giving her the hand as if to say 'don't speak to me.' The little onna huffed at how easily he was dismissing her as she pestered the dog, trying to get him to look at her. A devilish smile creeped across Kagome's face and her blue eyes danced with mischief at the tease she knew would catch Inuyasha's attention.

"Would it help if I said I was Team Jacob? I've always had soft spot for canines." Kagome leaned up to whisper in the man-child's ear as she caressed the fluffy triangle. As expected, the comment caught his attention and Kagome fell on the ground laughing as the blushing hanyou turned on her, spluttering about this and that.

Toga watched the whole exchange for a minute or two after his phone call had ended. The light and friendly atmosphere between the two calming the old youkai's nerves after such an infuriating phone call. A sly smile reappeared on the older Inu's face at the miko's teasing comment. It was clearly said in jest, that was apparent to all present, but Toga desperately hoped for it to be true for his plan to work.

Wheels turning in the doggy general's head, Toga coughed to catch the two arguing youth's attention. "It seems my presence is requested elsewhere. Inuyasha," A hard stare full of heavy expectations pinned the hanyou where he stood as amber stared into amber. "I trust you will take care of the little miko. It isn't safe for her to just walk around by herself as of yet." The daiyoukai nodded in satisfaction as determination filled his pup's eyes.

Walking forward, Toga pulled the miko's delicate hands into his own. "My dear, I apologize for cutting your tour short, but we have covered all of the main buildings. The only other place to visit would be the library and that probably holds no interest for you…" Toga watched in hidden amusement as Kagome's eyes sparkled and her scent laced with excitement. A breathy chuckle passed his lips as the onna continued to surprise him. "However, I'm sure Inuyasha can take you if you desired."

Pleading blues met the wary amber eyes of a disgruntled hanyou. Inuyasha didn't like where this was going. "Aw, hell no. No way I'm wasting my time looking at a pile of dusty books that don't teach you shit." Crossing his arms over his T-shirt and making his resolve clear, Kagome ignored the postering male and looked up at Toga instead.

"Which way?" Toga smiled at the determination radiating from the little miko and pointed to the south, and, before either he or his pup knew it, Kagome was dragging Inuyasha by the elbow in the direction of the library. A boisterous laugh filled the empty quad as the daiyoukai watched the two disappear. He couldn't believe how good this one human was for both his sons. Inuyasha appeared to have found a friend after centuries of distrusting everyone around him, and his eldest pup, well, that had yet to be determined…

* * *

"Oh, Inuyasha. Look at this one!" Kagome chirped like a delighted little bird as she flittered around the third floor of the library which housed the history section. Blue eyes shimmered in wonder at the vast treasure of knowledge at her disposal, but her new friend wasn't sharing in her obvious excitement.

"Yeah, yeah, wench. Look at all the dust collectors." Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he dropped a stack of books onto the old table Kagome had deigned as her own personal study center. Shit, these things were useless and heavy.

**SMACK.** A short howl of pain as Inuyasha rubbed the back of his head. "Bitch, what was that for?" The hanyou growled as he turned on the small onna, only finding her frosty glare right behind him.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again, quit it. You may not appreciate the limitless amount of knowledge in this one room but other people do." The little miko hissed before she noticed the slight fear that shot through Inuyasha's eyes at her anger. When Kagome had met Inuyasha, they had simply clicked. Their relationship falling together like it was an act of fate, but this led to her forgetting that she and the hanyou had only met that day. Plus, with Inuyasha's past, he may need more time to trust her and know that her anger wouldn't inevitably lead to his abandonment. With this recognition, Kagome's heart filled with an overwhelming need to befriend the hanyou even more. She wanted him to know he would never be alone again.

A bright smile covered her face as Kagome leaned up on her tip toes to pet the doggy ears she already harbored a secret addiction for, and Inuyasha swatted her hands away. "I'm sorry, that was a little harsh. How about this, you don't have to stay here with me. Go do whatever you want for an hour or two and then come back, and after that we can go to the ice cream place you told me about!"

The miko put all the cheer she could muster into her words. She wasn't a 100% comfortable with the idea of being alone on this campus, but Kagome knew her friend was getting antsy being locked among the book laden shelves and they had only been there for 30 minutes. She thought her act was convincing, but a flare of the Inu's sensitive nose and Inuyasha knew exactly how she was feeling.

"Nah, it's fine. What's my Pops gonna say if I leave you alone?" Inuyasha put on a brave face but he couldn't help the grimace that flashed at the idea of being stuck in this building for even a second longer. The musty smell of the old paper and the dust that collected on the older copies really was irritating his nose.

"Relax, Inuyasha. It's not like the books are gonna eat me, now are they." The little miko chuckled as she began to push Inuyasha towards the stairs before abruptly stoping in her efforts as a disturbing thought struck her.

"They won't, right?" Such a serious inquisition was met with a bark of a laugh as Inuyasha curled in on himself at the utter ridiculousness of the onna before him.

"Hmm, I don't think so." Inuyasha smirked as he looked over his shoulder. "They usually prefer an onna with a little meat, not a child-like twig." The snickering continued as Kagome grumbled something about disobedient dogs and wishing she could 'sit' his ass.

To appease the raging miko behind him, the hanyou agreed to her request but said she better be ready in an hour. No more and no less.

Kagome giggled as he her new friend/protector's silver mane disappeared down the stairs before turning around to look over her glorious bounty. The table she had selected as her display case of sorts was a few paces from a beautifully ornate bay window.

The warm light of the setting sun drifted through the colored glass panels as intricate patterns of blues, reds, greens, and purples danced across the worn covers of the books that laid on her table. Reaching forward, Kagome was spell-bound as she watched the dyed rays play along her pale skin. The miko waved and weaved her hands among the colors, and a dreamy smile spread across her face as she imagined the lights moving and dancing with her. Cupping her hands, the little miko tried to pool a deep indigo ray in her palms, as if she wanted to sip water from the stream of light, but it merely painted her skin a mystical purple color.

A sigh of longing fell from her lips as her attempt seemed futile, but then Kagome felt a mysterious force pulse behind her. Spell broken, the onna turned around to look scan the deserted room behind her. No one was there, which was odd for Kagome as she figured some people would be getting an early start to their assigned readings. Maybe youkai weren't big on studying, like Inuyasha appeared to be. No, Kagome doubted all youkai would be like any of the three inu she knew, the world would have ended long ago if that were the case. Instead, Kagome mused, it was more likely they didn't need to be on this level of the library that was reserved for history books—they had probably lived through half the books up here.

Shaking her head, Kagome ignored the foreign feeling from earlier and grabbed three piles from her stack before climbing on the padded window sill of the bay window. It wasn't long before the young onna was oblivious to everything around her besides the faded yellow pages before her nose— Youkai History Through the Centuries.

* * *

He watched her. The human onna he had stumbled upon while rifling through some selected course material, the sight giving him his first shock in decades. First, when he arrived, the little onna wasn't alone. Amused eyes watched as the female hit the loud-mouth hanyou with the spine of a heavy book she held in her grasp. From there, an interesting display unfolded as the two youths bickered like children before the onna asked, in all sincerity, if the books were going to eat her.

At this point, he had already been thoroughly entertained as a small smile pulled at thin lips, but at her words the old soul had to physically cover his mouth to block the laughter bubbling to his lips. He wondered if the female was witty or dreadfully misinformed in some regard. In this manner, he watched the Inu pup leave the onna alone, an action he didn't deem particularly wise. Yes, very few people were around and no hostile auras were present at this moment, but a defenseless human being left alone simply to read? Why was she on campus anyways. To his knowledge, a human had never been allowed on YOUKAI's grounds. Why was this onna different?

His answer was answered in a timely manner as he watched the raven-haired beauty stand before a table of books. The remnants of the day's light filtered through the glass and colored the ground, tables, and onna. Various rays caressed her womanly form as her upper torso bathed in the colorful light, and his eyes widened when the little human began to interact with the light. He says interact because the light was actually playing with her. Impossible movements and unnatural bends of the illuminated streams of color told him of the change as a familiar force began to weave around the onna. Glimmering streams encircled the female as a naive smile plastered across the woman-child's face. It was a beautifully dangerous sight as he recognized the silvery streams toying with the oblivious onna as she tried to hold the light in her hands, as if her soul heeded the call of the force surrounding her by pure instinct, the call of magic. Not just any magic either, old magic.

Sending a pulse of his aura out in warning, he hid behind a book shelf before the onna's head whipped around. So she can sense him? Does that mean this child was the miko Toga-san had emailed everyone about? She didn't appear to be the all-powerful being the old dog had made her out to be as she curled on to the window shelf like a house cat before becoming absorbed in her reading.

If so, it really was unwise for the hanyou to leave her alone. Defenseless or not, an unpleasant situation was highly likely if any were to discover what she was. Feeling unsettled, he quickly finished his business by grabbing the few necessary books before returning to a quiet corner to keep watch over her before her (supposed) hanyou friend returned. An hour and a half had passed when the (supposed) miko stirred from her reading nook, and he had to admit he was impressed, in his experience all human's had incredibly short attention spans.

The child looked around for something but when she didn't find what she was looking for, the young onna began putting away some of her books. One particular book required the use of a latter, and she climbed the squeaking steps until she was nearly 10 ft off the ground. Something in him screamed this was dangerous and fate agreed.

No later had he thought the situation precarious than did he see the onna's petite frame begin to totter off the rickety old latter. With blinding speed he flashed over, catching the beautiful creature in his arms. Pure blue eyes looked up at him, an inner light illuminating them like two crystalline stars. His old heart skipped a beat.

"Hello, little Ilma."

* * *

**AN: A Pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple levels that is often used as a Hindu or Buddhist temple. A quick google search and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.**

**Yay! Finally, another chapter done. I apologize for the delay as I was trying to figure out in what direction I wanted this story to go. I was predominantly writing this story as a free flow type of thing, where I just start typing with not much direction, but now I want the plot to have a little more substance. It was then that ideas started rolling and I could get past my writers block to write this chapter. The next one, hopefully, will not take as long to get out.**

**Lastly, and most importantly, I wanted to thank every single one of you who took the time to leave a review. I loved reading your thoughts and opinions and hope you enjoyed this new chapter. I truly appreciate all reviews and would request for anyone who found this story entertaining or those of you who have a question/critique to leave me a review. I would love to hear from you.**

**Thanks again and see you soon!**


	5. Chapter 5: Falling for Sensei

**DISCLAIMER**: I no own Inuyasha or any of the characters, but I hope you enjoy the story regardless.

* * *

Kagome closed the heavy book in her hands and stretched out her body. She had been so absorbed with her reading that her posture had remained locked in one position for so long that she felt her bones had calcified, yet one glance at the clock on the wall told her it had only been a little over an hour.

Oh shit, how had she lost track of time by reading a damn history book? Inuyasha was going to be here any minute and the miko knew he would be unhappy to see her so unprepared to leave the stuffy confines of the book grave yard as he liked to call it. So Kagome got up and looked around for any signs of the disgruntled hanyou and a sigh of relief escaped her as she realized he still hadn't arrived.

When she didn't find him, the little onna just shrugged her shoulders and decided to start putting away all her treasures. If he was late, he had no right to get mad at her for not being ready to leave whenever he does get here. Still, Kagome looked at the books in her hands as she tried to put them back on the shelves. Oh, how the curious miko wanted to take every single one of them to her new 'home' so she could start studying this new world she had fallen into. Kagome bit her lip as she considered going to ask if she could check the books out but, not gonna lie, the thought of going to the counter alone sent a fresh wave of nerves down the tiny miko's spine. She wouldn't push her luck just yet.

Instead, she continued on her quest to put everything she could back. She had gone through most of her pile and now the only books left were the one she had been reading and the one Inuyasha had picked out in the first place. Kagome reached down to the worn leather of the thick book and warily looked over the title, _A History of Youkai Mating Rituals_. Apparently Inuyasha thought it was funny to see her open what was the equivalent of the Youkai Kama Sutra. Let's just say the hanyou had paid for that one, but now that her mortification at seeing such a thing had abated even Kagome could laugh about it. This was the kind of joke she would have pulled as well and it only solidified the miko's belief that Inuyasha and her were meant to be friends.

Still, Kagome's wary gaze landed on the rickety old latter Inuyasha had used to get the book down. He had balanced on the old thing like it was a steel column but one test shake foretold of the creaking woods instability. Kagome debated internally for a good few minutes if she should rally against her fate as a forever klutz and just go for it or if she should leave the book on the table and hope someone else would put it up for her. The thought of an elderly librarian coming up her after her and seeing what the only human student's choice in reading material made Kagome a blushing mess, however, and she suddenly found herself scampering up the latter to hide the evidence.

At first, a small gloating smile commanded Kagome's lips as her confidence began to soar. She had made it to the top of the latter with no problem and now all she had to do was put the damn book back on the shelf. However, fate was never one to tempt so recklessly. As Kagome extended her arm off the latter, a unsettling feeling tightened in her stomach. It was like her body knew what was coming and was trying to warn her.

Not even a second later, the miko's foot somehow managed to jostle the latter right out from under her. It creaked and clattered against the tall wall of books, but Kagome paid it no heed—she was too busy falling. Wind swooshed around her in the few seconds she was in the air, which was ironic because all the air had left her lungs before her fall, making it impossible for her to scream.

Eyes shut tight, Kagome prepared for the inevitable impact, but it never came. Instead, the air around her suddenly stills as the miko feels two solid arms settle around her, cradling her like a child. Big blue eyes creaked open as the tried to asses the damage and see the poor soul who had witnessed her disgraceful moment, all the while praying to the Kamis that it would be Inuyasha. Hehe, as if fate would be so kind.

Startled blue eyes looked up to meet eyes of the most beautiful green Kagome had ever seen. As if pure sunlight was filtering through forrest trees, the pale green eyes flecked with gold gazed upon her, radiating warmth and something else, something hidden.

"Hello, little Ilma." A soft voice fluttered across her flushed skin like the brush of a feather and Kagome was, for lack of a better word, dazzled. That voice tickled her senses with its soft edges yet the deep timber reminded her that she was currently staring at a man, a man that was still holding her in his arms.

"Eep," Kagome squealed as she started to flounder around. Her face was ablaze with flames of embarrassment and the miko vaguely wondered if the mystery man finally put her down because he realized that was what she wanted or because the heat flooding her skin had actually burned him. Once her feet were firmly on the ground once again, Kagome finally managed to calm down, well, she could breath again at least.

"Thank you so much for saving me, um, I'm not really that clumsy. Well, I am actually, haha, so I should have known better than climbing so high with my luck, but I just had to put the book up, and, well, I mean, um… I'm sorry you had to see that." Kagome ended on a whisper as her babbling only served to increase her embarrassment and make her look more like an idiot. Black waves of pure ebony curtained her face as Kagome bowed to her savior, but the thick locks and her mortification alone weren't going to stop the little onna from checking out the fine male specimen before her.

Those spectacular eyes paired well with the immaculate image the male possessed. Pale blonde hair fell to the man's waist like a silken sheet in his half up, half down hair do and the golden threads of silk outlined his face beautifully. Thin lips and delicate brows gracing his fair skin made him have a soft image, almost feminine, yet a well defined nose and jaw announced to the world that the being before them was undoubtably male. Especially when they were accompanied by his towering height and the lean muscle he could not completely hide behind his silver and forrest green robs. Yes, he was definitely male. A very pretty male.

Kagome straightened her spine as she realized that she had been ogling the man for way too long. She hoped she hadn't offended him, but his gentle smile didn't look like he was upset with her. Quite the contrary, the man looked like he had found her entire ordeal incredibly amusing, if the dancing light behind his eyes was any indication.

"No need to apologize, Ilma. I presume the book you are referring to is the one by your feet, and, if so, I completely understand your haste to put the book back yourself." A warmth filled the softly spoken words and if Kagome wasn't too busy staring at her feet she would have swooned. Oh, she was certainly feeling faint but not because of the man's tone. No, she was feeling sick because right by her foot, with title and suggestive cover on full display, laid _A History of Youkai Mating Rituals_.

Bending at the waist before standing back upright, Kagome had picked up the book like the snap of a whip and held it protectively to her chest. "It's not. I didn't. Um, my friend got it down as a joke." Kagome tried to get the words out as fast as she could to prevent this angel of a man from judging her for being indecent. She tried so hard, in fact, that she bit her lip.

"Ow," Kagome's hand reached up to see if she'd broken skin but someone else beat her to it. A strong hand held her chin between his thumb and forefinger, and the little miko's heart nearly stopped when he bent his tall frame down to her.

"Hm, that was quite a chomp, little one. No matter how hungry you are, I don't recommend devouring your own lips. You should leave that for the youkai mating ritual." A small smile told Kagome she was being teased, and Kagome's temper flared a little below the surface. She just told him that she wasn't the one who selected the book and he saw how embarrassed she was so he should know better than to tease her about it. Now he was just being mean!

"I have no interest in such things, but trust me," Kagome huffed as she hit the man's hand away. "Whether the man is youkai or not, I won't be the one getting devoured." Kagome straightened her spine and looked at the man with a heavy glare and a hand on her hip. She didn't know who this guy was, so what gave him the right to tease her? Just because he saved her? She would have preferred kissing the pavement (figuratively speaking).

Green eyes sparkled as a faint chuckle fell from parted lips and the man bowed his head in apology. "Forgive me for speaking out of turn. Would you like me to return the book for you as a sign of my penitence?" An elegant hand extended to receive the book from her but Kagome would have none of that. You can't act like a jerk and then play the gentleman.

"No thank you. I can do it myself." Kagome turned abruptly towards the latter but the infuriating man moved to block her way. Hands barring her from the latter and a smile obviously trying to placate her stood before her but the miko's temper only grew. "Please move."

The exquisite male watched the little onna puff out her cheeks and pout as he refused to move. He suspected her temper was quite formidable, if what he had seen with the hanyou was any consolation, but to him the little onna merely looked like a sulking kitten, claws extended but unable to inflict real damage. A genuine smile ghosted at the corner of his lips and a flash of intrigue danced behind his beautiful eyes. It had been a log time since anyone caught his attention.

"My dear, I truly do apologize for offending you, but as a teacher and your elder I simply cannot, in good conscious, allow you to go back up this latter. I think you can understand why." A knowing smile brightened his eyes and Kagome blushed. Yeah, she knew why. It was because she's a klutz, unable to walk ten feet in front of her without tripping on a flat surface, but she'd rather take her chances than allow this man to keep teasing her. At least, that would be the normal Kagome's reaction but the man's words had distracted her and derailed her temper.

"A teacher?" Kagome's eyes narrowed as her eyes reassessed the man before her with an incredulous expression. How could he be a teacher? He looked no more than 20 years old, a mere two years older than herself. Shouldn't he still be in school? As if the man could read the questions floating inside the miko's mind, the man thought it prudent to indulge her and spare her any further embarrassment.

"Yes, I am a teacher here, and I have been for nearly 50 years." The man paused again to suppress the chuckle that wanted to make itself known after seeing the miko's comically widened gaze. "I see that surprises you, but you should probably get used to things like that if you are to be a student here. You will find that age, species, and even sex all hold unconventional standards that cannot be relied on when living among supernatural beings."

Kagome's mouth opened once to retort but she closed it just as quickly. She was in a new world, how could she have forgotten that already? She already knew Sesshomaru was a teacher and he didn't look much different age wise than the man in front of her, except that his icy appearance made the daiyoukai seem unapproachable while this man's warmth was more than welcoming.

"Little Ilma, have you registered for classes yet?" The soft spoken words broke through Kagome's inner musings like a heavy hammer. _Little ilma? _What the hell was that? Kagome's piercing blue gaze surveyed the surrounding area and when she found no one else around she even turned her head to see if someone was behind her. Still, she found no one. Returning a guarded gaze to the man before her, Kagome raised an expectant brow.

"Are you speaking to me?" The miko was blunt as she pointed her finger to herself, but the question was unnecessary. There was no one else around and his mystical green eyes were fixed solely on her. Of course he was talking to her. The man also seemed to think it was obvious for her didn't even bother responding. He only returned her quirked brow with one of his own before repeating his earlier question.

"Have you registered for classes?" Kagome rolled her eyes in exasperation. Why should she answer his question if the rude fellow refused to answer her unspoken one? Oh well, answering him may be the only way to get anywhere with this guy. Kagome did not know who or what this man was, but she could sense the love for mischief in those green eyes. It was this sense of camaraderie that warned her to be careful when engaging in a battle of wits with the one before her.

"No. Now, what is an 'ilma'?" Kagome thought she was being perfectly reasonable, an answer for an answer. Should be the unstated rule of conversation, right? Well, it appeared that youkai have different rules as the male proceeded to ignore her question.

"You really need to expand your knowledge of the supernatural, little one. Why don't you enroll in my class, _West Meets East: Clashing Perspectives? _It won't bode well for you to only focus on Eastern youkai culture, you know, not with how our world is expanding. Plus, I even have a whole month of lectures dedicated to your interests." The smooth bass of the man's words became even lower when he finished trying to sell his class to her and Kagome's cheeks darkened involuntarily. Eyes glinting like daggers drawn, the miko responded to the man's taunt, fully prepared for battle.

"Interests? Please tell me, Honorable Sensei, what pray tell are my interests?" Kagome huffed as she shot the man a haughty glare. How could he know her interests? He didn't know her!

A sly smile flashed perfect white teeth at the indignant female. She truly would be a delight to have in his class. Riles easily and stubbornly refuses to back down. A smug smile commanded his handsome face as he leaned a little lower, as if his next words were covert secrets that should not be uttered out loud. The miko's body tensed but she still did not retreat, and this made the man exceedingly happy. What an interesting mortal.

"Why," A breath of hot air made Kagome shiver as it caressed her ear. "Mating rituals, of course." As soon as those words licked her skin Kagome was mortified. A small hand shot out to push the towering man's body away from her but her hand met air as the insufferable being had already made his retreat. Blue eyes of fire glared at the man as he laid casually against the latter while reading that damn book. How did he even get it?

"You, you!" Kagome was nearly panting in her fury and was unaware of the magenta sparks of power that were flickering around her. Her opponent merely glanced at her, assessing her strength with concealed curiosity.

"Now, now. Calm down, little one. Jests of such nature are common among my people. You would know that if you enroll in my class." A breathtaking smile and glittering eyes met Kagome's fury head on and for some reason the miko's temper began to settle down. _It's_ a n_ew world. It's a new wold_. Kagome kept repeating the reminder over and over again like a mantra.

Just as she was about to respond with a witty comment of her own, the sound of an argument sounded from the floor below. Long, black tendrils whipped behind her as the miko tried to find the source of the noise. With her head turned, Kagome didn't notice the slightly annoyed look on the man's godlike face.

"It seems that our meeting has run its course. I look forward to seeing you in class Tuesday, little Ilma." Kagome turned back around to glare at the man who continued to call her by that strange name, but when she turned around no one was there. The miko's fingers curled into a fist with the effort it took her to restrain herself. Such an annoying fellow, didn't even give her the chance to voice her complaints.

Feeling vexed, the little miko decided there was no point standing around, especially when a rather familiar voice entered her ears. The irritated growling she was hearing from the floor below sounded like a rather disgruntled hanyou she had the pleasure of calling her friend. Quick steps flew down the stairs and in a few short moments she was facing what could only be considered a dog fight.

Inuyasha was standing close to the stairs, where it seemed he had been stopped on his way to go meet Kagome, and across from him was a tall college boy with a long, black pony-tail and eyes of pure ice. The youth was taller than Inuyasha and the body that laid underneath a form fitting leather jacket and dark blue jeans made it clear the man was fighting fit. What caught Kagome's attention, however, was that despite his modern clothing the boy also wore a brown fur pelt around his waist and something behind him continued to swish from side to side in agitation. _Is that a tail? _

"Like I said, Dog Breath. What's your ass doing in a library. Can a half-breed like you even read?" The male's voice was laced with mockery as those pretty blue eyes narrowed on Inuyasha. The group of jocks snickered behind their bonehead leader who stood with his arms crossed, arrogance exuding from every pore.

"Keh, like _I_ said, you mangy wolf, what I'm doing here has nothing to do with you. Why don't you and your pack of wannabes just keep chasing your tails or whatever it is the hell you guy's do." Inuyasha barked as he tried to dismiss the stuck up wolf prince. Inuyasha couldn't stand people like him. Inuyasha gave one more glare before turning around. Normally, Inuyasha would stay and just beat the bastard, but he had kept Kagome waiting long enough. The desire remained however, and his claws still twitched with the effort it took to leave without drawing blood.

"Where do you think you're going, Mutt-face?" The wolf youkai's eyes glinted with anger. He wasn't used to being ignored and for some reason the young youkai knew that this hanyou and him were not meant to get along. A strong, tan arm reached out in an attempt to grab a hold of the hanyou's silver mane, but he was blocked by a snarling female.

"Don't you dare touch my friend!" Kagome's small hands darted out and in the wolf's surprise at the girl's sudden appearance, the miko was able to push him back a few steps. Needless to say, everyone was shocked but Kagome wasn't done yet.

"Who in the hell do you think you are? _Half-breed_? The only one I see here is you! A cross between an idiot and a jerk. _Mutt-face_? Take my advice and look in a mirror before you start spouting off nonsense buddy!" Kagome hurled her words at the stunned wolf youkai and her verbal assault was met with dead silence. The wolf prince was shocked speechless. The drones behind him had their maws hanging open like fools so how could they respond, and Inuyasha was too busy smirking to pull Kagome back—not like he wanted to anyways.

Blue eyes clashed, one sparkling like sunlight through ice while the other raged like a ocean storm. Unspoken words were shared through their glance, but, unfortunately, the two were singing a different tune. The wolf was preoccupied with admiring the feisty female before him, so he didn't respond to any of the insults she had flung at him. Black hair fell like an ink river around her pale skin. Beautiful eyes of fiery blue gazed at him with such passion that it nearly took the youkai prince's breath away. Not to mention the girls scent. Despite the spicy scent of her anger, a undeniably sweet smell wafted into his nose. It smelled like a delicious treat of warm honey and vanilla, so pure and so delicate. Such a scent enraptured the demon as the miko continued to look at him like he was an idiot. As if driven by his demonic senses, the wolf made his claim.

"You will be my woman." Anger surged through Kagome's entire being at the unsolicited claim of ownership. _What the hell? _However, before the miko could even respond to the rude remark, a snarling hanyou was standing between them.

"No way in hell, bastard. Keep your paws off Kagome!" Inuyasha was livid. This girl had only been in his life for a few hours but his desire to protect her was damn near instinctual.

"So your name is Kagome?" The wolf leaned around the barking hanyou to glance at the petite female behind him. An unforgiving shiver went down Kagome's spine with how his tongue curled around her name like a possession.

"Hey, I told you to fuck off, Koga!" Being ignored was making Inuyasha even angrier as his claws began to extend, taking a swipe at the wolf. This time, however, Koga was not surprised and easily leapt out of the dog's range. Still, the arrogant prince shot Inuyasha a threatening glare.

"Who's talking to you, dog breath. I'm talking to my woman!" The words were growled and now the friends who had been sitting behind the wolf at a study table all stood up, ready to battle. Kagome saw this and in less than a second she deduced the situation. There was 5 of them plus Koga against one hanyou and one miko. Kagome didn't know much about youkai and their strengths but a hanyou would be less powerful than a full-blooded youkai, right? If so, that meant the two were definitely outmatched if they really wanted to fight it out here and now.

Cursing herself for running her mouth in a situation where she obviously didn't have a dog in the fight (well, excluding her friendship with Inuyasha), Kagome thought it was only practical to retreat. Decision made, a small hand laid gently on Inuyasha's arm.

"Come on, Inuyasha. Let's go." Kagome tugged on Inuyasha's arm but he didn't move. Amber eyes were too busy glaring daggers at Koga. The miko rolled her eyes at the testosterone fueled feud. "Inuyashaaaaa!" Kagome pulled even harder, wrapping both her arms around the hanyou and tugging. Finally, Inuyasha looked down at her. He looked like he was about to argue but after seeing the look in the miko's eyes, Inuyasha thought better of it.

"Keh, fine." Inuyasha's doggy ears twitched on his head but he reluctantly turned to follow the miko down to the first floor.

"Hey, where are you going with my woman, Half-breed!" Koga stepped forward as if he was ready to charge after them, but Kagome's irritation reached an all time high and a with a flare of reiki, Koga was shocked backwards 10 feet.

"I'm not your woman!" The miko growled before continuing down the stairs with a chuckling Inuyasha.

* * *

Kagome sat at the dinning room table in her new home. Inuyasha had sent her home a few hours ago, all the while adamantly refusing to step foot in the 'ice bastard's' lair, and not too long after Toga had made a brief visit of his own. The meeting with the elder daiyoukai was short as the Western Lord was busy preparing for the school's start tomorrow. He had just enough time to explain to Kagome that she needed to log in to the school webpage and use the portal to enroll in at least 3 but no more than 5 classes.

The miko had already spent two hours pouring over the school's course catalogue in utter fascination. The majority of the courses were foreign to her, but the school still offered the typical math, science, and fine arts courses typical of a university. Thinking it would be wise to enroll in at least one of these familiar courses, the miko reluctantly choose Biology 101. She had always enjoyed science courses and Biology was one of the sciences that retained a respective distance from Kagome's formidable foe, mathematics.

One course down, Kagome quickly chose a few more that seemed interesting: Self-Defense for Beginners, Youkai-Human Delegation, and Youkai History 101. The latter actually referenced the book she had been reading in the library, _Youkai History Throughout the Centuries_, so she would at least start the course with a smidge of knowledge. Now, for her last course, _West Meets East: Clashing Perspectives…_

"Faelor Sensei, huh…" Kagome muttered as she decided to bite the bullet and clicked the fateful button, enroll.

* * *

**AN: Thank you everyone for your patience! I hope the new chapter was worth the wait. I know some of you already know from one of my other updated, The Love Spell, but for those of you who don't know I was struggling for a long time with that stories update and had no time to work on anything else. After that, I took a small trip to visit my friend in another state and forgot my computer so updating was impossible. I am sorry for the delay, but I hope you liked it!**

**P.S. Does anyone have any feelings about Faelor-Sensei? Any clues about what he is? I'm sure some of you already know since the clues are all there but you won't find out for sure until next chapter hehe ;)**

**Also, to everyone who took the time to review, thank you so much! Your reviews keep this story going and I absolutely love reading them! **


	6. Chapter 6: Let the Classes Begin

White surrounded her. Warm, welcoming white engulfed her in a halo of protection that made Kagome believe she was in heaven. It _was_ heaven, until a familiar demon began its incessant roar beside her head.

"Ugh," Kagome groaned and she tried to burrow further back into that heavenly cloud. The miko had never been one for waking up early, her mom even had to peal her out of her covers on more than one occasion back in high school. However, today it was not her mother that pulled her out of her lovely dreams but a waking nightmare instead.

As soon as Kagome found a comfortable position to drift back off to dream land, a deadly voice spoke into the darkness of her room.

"Miko. If you do not cease that infernal noise of your cellular device," Fear filled the miko as the bone-chilling cold of the daiyoukai's youki fell around her, making her eyes snap open and her body spring out of bed while looking around wildly for the danger. It took her a second in the dark, but soon Kagome's eyes found Sesshomaru standing at her door, staring at her with an impassive mask that only seemed to amplify the disdain in his eyes and the threat in his next words. "I will make sure it is you who ceases to make noise. Eternally." Kagome gulped as the big Inu turned and left her doorway like a specter, so quick that Kagome wasn't even sure the surely dog had even been there in the first place. Maybe this was a dream to scare her awake so she wouldn't be late for her first day of classes?

Big doe like eyes blinked owlishly as she considered climbing back into the silky haven of her blankets. A consideration forgone when she finally took her cellphone off the bedside table and saw why her alarm was going off. It was already 6:30! That was the third alarm she had set. How did she sleep past the first two?

Kagome's inner panic manifested itself in fumbling limbs that tore away at her new favorite pair of pajamas (a certain deep blue sleeping Kimono Toga let her borrow) as she ran around thrusting a few necessary items into an old yellow book bag. In record time, for one well accustomed to last minute dressing, Kagome was dressed in a pair of black sport leggings and a loose, red racer-back tank-top. This was by no means what Kagome wanted to wear for her first day of college but the memo she received in regard to her first class, Self Defense for Beginners', dress code was that she would need athletic wear.

Making sure her more preferable attire for her college debut was packed in her bag, along with two notebooks, some pens and pencils, and a few other things, Kagome flung the packed bag on to her thin shoulders and flew down the stairs.

In passing, the silver head of a particular daiyoukai caught Kagome's eye and she felt like snubbing the jerk for his threat not too long ago, but the miko reconsidered. He probably endured her first two alarms AND without him it was very likely she would have slept through her first class, so instead Kagome sent a warm smile to the demon lounging on the plush couch with a coffee in one hand and a book in the other.

"Morning Sesshomaru! Have a great first day." And with that, Kagome was out the door.

* * *

***Beep* *Beep* *Beep*. **Sesshomaru was going insane. This was the third time the onna's alarm was going off in the span of 30 minutes. The high, irritating, buzz was loud and obnoxious as it pierced the Inu's sensitive ears and finally Sesshomaru's patience broke. Sesshomaru Taisho, heir of the Western Lands, was known around the world as a daiyoukai of impenetrable control. Undeniable and absolute were words that came to mind when others spoke of his iron-clad will and resolute demeanor, but after meeting a certain miko Sesshomaru's control seemed to be walking a fine line, a thin line made of spider silk hanging over a sea of flames waiting for his patience to snap.

It was insufferable. His father's flippancy was something Sesshomaru had dealt with for centuries but never had his sire's decisions caused him so much turmoil. The younger daiyoukai had never faced a challenge he was not up for. Hell, he had never seen a challenge that could even be considered a real challenge. Now, oh now, a simple human, a tiny onna, was making the Inu Prince fight for control at every turn.

After her first day and her apologies, the girl gave Sesshomaru very few things to complain about. She was respectful in both words and actions, she worked hard on her lessons to the point where even he was impressed with her progress (not that he would ever admit it), and—besides some small attempts at cordial conversation— the onna never forced her presence on him or pestered him for attention like all the other female's the Western Prince had ever known. All in all, the demon had to admit that this miko, this Ka-go-me, was the ideal roommate if Sesshomaru had to have one. That was his reluctant thoughts until today.

A flash of white and the demon was standing at the onna's bedroom door. The incessant buzzing and beeping of her cellphone was worse now that he was so close but the demon's senses were in conflict. His ears were the victim of the phone's cries and wished for him to leave but his nose was leading him forward still. Opening the door—of course the trusting and foolish creature didn't bother to lock it—Sesshomaru realized why his body moved on despite the pain.

Warm honey and pure vanilla hit him like a brick wall. Her entire room was permeated by the richness of her scent and it had the Inu's mouth watering. It was too heavy, too purely her with no taint of any other, that Sesshomaru's mind was becoming clouded. Golden eyes roamed the room as his nose sought out the onna responsible for such a heavenly scent. There, burrowing in to her blankets like a small forrest creature, Sesshomaru caught sight of the sleeping miko.

Her small body was swallowed by the thick, blue comforter and it made the miko look even smaller than usual. More delicate. More defenseless. Sesshomaru's brow twitched when the instinct to protect struggled to rise within him. It was ridiculous. The miko was not his responsibility. If any, her safety rested in the hands of his sire.

A sharp growl filled Sesshomaru's head at the thought of placing the miko under another male's protection. It was so loud and so unexpected that the daiyoukai nearly winced at the ferocity, but he chose to ignore it instead. His beast was throwing a fit but he would get over it sooner or later. There was no need to encourage its obvious obsession with the human onna, and Sesshomaru was sure his own, infinitesimal, interest would pass in time as well.

After threatening the miko, Sesshomaru returned to the first floor to proceed with his morning ritual. Relaxing with an expensive and exotic blend of coffee and a book as he lounged on his favorite couch. He did not even glance at the miko as she came thundering down the stairs like an elephant stampede, not until the girl called out to him.

Again, Sesshomaru was caught off guard as the temperamental creature displayed no fear nor anger over his treatment of her this morning. She just flashed a warm smile as she wished him a good morning and a 'great first day.' Sesshomaru wanted to roll his eyes at the foolish girl, but he could not stop the small sigh and the twitch of his lips a mere moment later when the daiyoukai heard the girl's crash landing a few meters out the front door.

* * *

"Ugh," Kagome's body was sore and heavy as she flopped in to an empty seat in a small auditorium. She had spent the last two hours, from 7 am-9am, getting her ass kicked in her first class, Self-Defense for Beginners. The teacher, Matsumoto-Sensei, was a drill sergeant from hell, Kagome was convinced. The older bear youkai appeared to be in his mid 40s, with rustic chestnut hair cropped close to his head just like his full beard. The beard did nothing to hide that strong jaw or stern face that Kagome and her classmates quickly came to learn were only outward signs of the soldier spirit dwelling within the man's sturdy frame. He was big and burly with muscles rippling under a training uniform, the same uniform that all students were assigned.

Girls and boys alike were assigned a pair of midnight blue hakama that tied over a crisp white kimono. It was simple and served its purpose because once the entire class of 10 students, such a small number because most youkai did not need a beginners course in self defense, they remarkably looked like a small battalion of soldiers. Uniformity in their dress sparked uniformity in their actions as they lined up and did drills. No one questioned the youkai, especially not after seeing one grumbling badger demon being sentenced 50 laps around the large stadium as punishment. It was a grueling workout but Kagome did have a little bit of fun.

Pushing herself to her limit to experience new things was what Kagome loved to do most. She wasn't an adrenaline junkie or anything, but she loved the feeling of accomplishing tasks she previously thought impossible. For now, their group was only focusing on body strengthening exercise and learning the basic forms for hand to hand combat but sooner or later she would get to test out her skill against and opponent. The fact her opponent would undoubtably be youkai and placed Kagome at a disadvantage before the fight could even begin was of small consequence to Kagome as she relished in the thought of growing stronger and faster with this new training regimen. If she worked hard, maybe she could even beat her youkai classmates one day.

The only thing, well the only thing besides having to wake up at the crack of dawn, was that Kagome was a little troubled over making sure her reiki stayed concealed. The miko mastered quite a bit of control over her holy energy during her time with Sesshomaru-Sensei, but even now she was nervous that she could unintentionally hurt somebody. Instead, Sesshomaru suggested that Kagome should completely contain her reiki so the other youkai would not react violently to her holy energy on instinct. She had heeded his advice without much difficulty, but now the vast amount of shimmering magenta light Kagome could now sense dwelling within her laid right under the miko's skin. This made Kagome fidgety as it triggered her awareness to be overly sensitive to the youkai movement around her. It wasn't like her energy was banging on the doors trying to get out and rampage through the demon hoards on campus, far from it. The feeling was more that of an excited dog that had been locked inside all day and was waiting at the backdoor to go outside and play, to explore. It did, however, require a good deal of concentration on Kagome's part to contain it when either a large crowd of youkai passed her or an especially powerful demon was near.

Kagome sighed as she twisted her long, wet hair into a simple bun.

Thankfully, a bathhouse was attached to the training grounds which allowed Kagome a place to bathe after her class. The warm water was a welcome relief to her aching muscles and the gentle scent of the soap had worked miracles on clearing the miko's mind.

With her reiki contained, she appeared as a normal human to the rest of her classmates and that in itself sparked diverse reactions. The majority were relatively kind or unbothered by her presence, but one little weasel, literally a weasel youkai, seemed determined to cause Kagome problems. Venomous glares were shot at her when the bear wasn't looking and harsh names were called when the class was dismissed but Kagome didn't really mind. It wasn't like humans were incapable of the same derisive behavior, in fact Kagome thought it was weak in comparison to some of the bullying 15 year old high school girls were capable of back in her old school.

With that in mind, Kagome ignored the girl as she was way too happy about being able to take a bath to let the girl's pinched face and snooty attitude bother her. Even walking to her next class (after she took about an hour long soak in the baths), Kagome didn't notice too much open hostility thrown her way. Yeah, there were a few glares, some people, er, youkai stopped to stare, but over all Kagome was being ignored. Apparently, YOUKAI academy was used to one thing, and that was Toga being unpredictable. To the majority of the student body, hearing that a human was coming to their school made them think that the Western Lord was looking for a new form of amusement. Either way, Kagome's morning passed pretty peacefully.

Now, as she rested her head on the cool table top and waited for her next class to begin, Kagome's eyes began to drift shut. Toga was right when he said this little miko knew no fear as she was fully prepared to fall asleep, unguarded, as random youkai began to fill the room for their next class, **Youkai History**.

"Excuse me fair lady, is this seat taken?" Kagome shot up, startled. The soft inquiry was spoken far too close to her ear for comfort. Immediately, Kagome's gaze caught an eyeful of purple. An indigo bomber jacket styled over a lighter purple v-neck covered a lean torso. Black hair with thick bangs curtained a handsome face before being pulled back in to a short ponytail at the base of his neck, exposing two gold earrings. The look held a rather roguish charm that was emphasized by the penetrating purple stare directed Kagome's way.

"Ah, yeah, no?" Kagome's reply sounded more like a question but that did not deter the confident male. Like a regal young gentleman, he pulled out his chair and sat down without breaking eye contact. Kagome also couldn't look away, but probably for a different reason.

"You're human." Kagome blurted out without thinking, causing the man to blink at her a few times before his smooth smile grew even more debonair.

"Yes, that is one of my traits. Along with being handsome, caring, and at your eternal service, my lady." The youth winked at Kagome and she couldn't help her reaction. She burst out laughing. This guy was just too much. Do people really talk like that? He should be some lecherous anime character haha. Tears rolled down Kagome's face as she tried to regain control of her spasming body so she didn't notice the look of interest flash in the man's eyes. He apparently was not used to her reaction.

"Did I speak falsely?" Kagome was happy to hear the amusement in the man's tone because it was only after she battled back her laughter did she realize her reaction could be perceived as rude. Oh well, Kagome decided to humor the male.

"Oh, of course not. You're very handsome and caring, but I do not know if I can handle such a man being at my beck and call for eternity. I dare not be so greedy." Kagome's warm smile was filled with the laughter that still shook her spirit and the man across from her made a decision then and there, this strange woman hiding her holy energy would be his first new friend on campus.

"My dear…" The man trailed off as he placed a hand on her shoulder and Kagome got the hint to tell him her name. "Ah, dear Kagome, I, Miroku, believe that in this world it is the right of beauties such as yourself to be as greedy as your heart desires. However," A sparkle deep within Miroku's eyes alerted Kagome to the possibility of being teased before he could even finish his sentence. Leaning in he slipped the hand on her shoulder to her back and it continued to slide down as he whispered huskily into her ear. "If you wish to take responsibility, you could always bear my children?"

Kagome's eye brow twitched as that hand made it's way to her lower back. It would have gone lower, Kagome was sure, if it wasn't needed to fend off a sudden attack. At the same time Kagome's hand raised on reflex to smack some sense in to the lecher, the cry of 'hentai' and a heavy book crashing towards his head had Miroku retracting his hand in favor of defending himself.

Kagome felt a moment of awkwardness as she felt the eyes of numerous youkai on them but it was quickly forgotten as she watched the show in front of her. Miroku, somehow, managed to block the book karate chopping down on him and was now staring up at a tall older woman with a stupidly silly smile on his face.

"Sango, my love!" That same hand that tried to grope her movements ago tried to reach out and commit the same offense on the new woman, only to be thwarted with a harsh smack. This woman was older than Kagome by a few years so the miko assumed she was an upper class man. Warm brown eyes paired with a lovely, yet fierce, face. Her attire was also simple. A pink t-shirt paired with some black jeans that made her appear down to Earth and approachable, but her high ponytail and the stern expression on her face made her seem like a battle hardened warrior at the same time. It was a strange paradox seeing the serious woman standing over the frivolous man but something told Kagome that this scene happened quite often.

"Who's your love? That cursed hand of yours?" Sango growled as she made another swipe at the man but this time Miroku wasn't lucky enough to dodge. A clear slapping sound rang through the nearly filled classroom but the three involved paid no attention.

"Ouch. Lovely Sango, as you just said, this hand is cursed to seek out the beauty of the flesh. It is by no fault of my own." Miroku's puppy dog eyes were pretty good if Kagome's ire over being nearly felt up softened but this girl Sango was another story. It seems she had heard this excuse before and would have none of it.

"Yeah right, Monk. That curse ended over five hundred years ago and you know it. Now it is only your filthy mind that has holes." Sango countered as she took the seat to Kagome's right. Suddenly, the intense expression the older woman was wearing vanished and was replaced with a soft, friendly smile.

"Don't let that idiot bother you. I've known him for years and I can promise you that a good ol' slap won't do any serious damage so feel free to teach him a lesson or two if his advances are unwelcome." Sango patted Kagome on the shoulder while Miroku leaned forward to intrude on their conversation.

"And if they are welcome?" Miroku wiggled his brow in a suggestive manner that made Sango roll her eyes.

"They aren't." Kagome's voice was firm and left no room for discussion but her eyes still sparkled when Miroku did a dramatic flop on to the desk top. Sango ignored his theatrics and returned to talking to Kagome.

"Sorry, he's really not a bad guy but that hand IS cursed. Cursed with the blood of lechers from ancient times." Sango and Kagome laughed when Miroku grumbled under his breath but Kagome could see it was all in good nature.

"Do you two know each other?" Kagome couldn't quell the curiosity in her. These two both spoke familiarly and the fact that there were other humans on campus was a shock to her.

"Yes, unfortunately our families are well acquainted. I come from a long line of demon hunters and old hentai here, believe it or not, is from a long line of monks. Our families have worked together before, in history and modern day, to help keep citizen's safe from rampaging demons." As soon as Sango spoke there was an unsettling feeling in the air. The rustle of clothes and books, the sound of soft discussions, or the sound of people moving in general faded. It was as if time stood still. Kagome's blue gaze left Sango to roam around the room and she saw something she didn't expect. Every youkai in that room was watching them. Some with wary glances, others with outright hateful glares. It was disturbing.

"Of course," Miroku's gentle voice cut through the tense atmosphere like a soft breeze. "Us three are now here as ambassadors of peace to show how far human and youkai relations have come. Taisho-sama was very clever and generous in organizing our enrollment in to his school so that we may traverse the bridge of camaraderie between our species and light the way for a brighter future. Right, my lovely lady friends?" Miroku's words were obviously not spoken for Kagome or Sango's benefit, as Kagome had no idea what he was talking about, but the short speech did seem to settle some of the demon's unease as they returned to doing whatever they were doing before.

Kagome looked from between Sango and Miroku and back to her youkai classmates that would occasionally toss suspicious or interested glances their way. It was confusing because Toga never told Kagome about other human classmates so how could she know about being an 'ambassador of peace'? Kagome didn't know but one look at Miroku and the shallow smile on his face and eyes that concealed a knowing light and our miko knew just where to get the answers she needed.

* * *

Youkai history with Miyoga-Sensei was long but interesting. It lasted from 11-12:30 so when the trio escaped from the flea's rambling they all headed towards the pagoda building for lunch. Kagome was quickly coming to like her fellow 'ambassadors.' Miroku was a flirt but he was also incredibly intelligent and held a sort of calm poise that made him easy to rely on. Like a rock that would support you no matter what. Sango was also highly intelligent and her strong-willed and kind nature gave off a big-sister kind of vibe that made Kagome want to be close to her.

It didn't take long before the three of them were talking and laughing like long lost friends. As fate would have it, Miroku was even in Kagome's Biology class on Tuesdays and Thursdays while Sango was in her next class, West meets East: Clashing Perspectives, and, to make things even better, all three of them were in Youkai-Human Delegation together. This was the best news Kagome had heard all week! The miko had been so concerned about being alone in her new classes but now she had friends in all her classes except for Self-Defense for Beginners.

A smile was plastered on Kagome's face when they finally made it to the cafeteria and it only grew when she saw a head of silver hair and fluffy dog ears.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's affectionate shout made the demon's around her freeze and glance at what was going on but the hanyou didn't seem to care. His face also split in to a lazy grin when he saw Kagome running up to him but that smile froze just as quickly when he saw her trailing two humans behind her.

Kagome could see Inuyasha bracing himself for battle and it hurt her heart to see him being so defensive. She could only imagine the pain he went through to make him this way but Kagome was determined to help her friend out of the darkness of his past and move towards a brighter future.

"Inuyasha," Kagome smiled gently as she arrived at his side and looped her arms around him in a giant bear hug that made Inuyasha tense, but it proved effective in slowly relaxing his nerves and stance. Even after only knowing her for a day, Inuyasha knew the girl was the overly affectionate type (not that he minded).

Feeling him relax, Kagome turned back to face Sango and Miroku and to make introductions. Looping her arm through Inuyasha's, Kagome introduced everyone. "Sango, Miroku, this is Inuyasha. His dad is Toga-san and he was the first friend I made on campus." Kagome squeezed Inuyasha's arm a little tighter before she continued. "Inuyasha, this is Sango. She comes from a family of demon slayers and the guy salivating over her behind is Miroku who is, ironically, a monk." Kagome laughed as Sango caught Miroku's wandering hand before slapping the fool upside the head. They both greeted Inuyasha with pleasant smiles and a relaxed atmosphere that made Inuyasha raise a silver brow. He knew of the two humans because his dad had told him that morning about his 'surprise' for Kagome but he didn't expect them to be so, so… laid back?

"Keh, whatever. Let's get some food before we drown in the monk's drool." Sango and Kagome laughed as they joined in at teasing Miroku. Kagome remained looped around Inuyasha's arm and Miroku even moved in to put an arm around the hanyou's shoulder as he complained about beautiful women with cruel hearts. Inuyasha knocked his arm away on instinct but Miroku didn't seem to take offense as he moved on to Sango's side. Amber eyes scrunched up as he tried to figure out what was going on. First a miko, now a monk and a demon slayer. Why was he attracting so many odd balls?

A brief look down and Inuyasha realized something. Two big blue eyes were staring up at him with an caring smile on her face before she proceeded to pull him along in their tiny group. The entire lunch was spent with the four joking and arguing over stupid things and Kagome wouldn't stop trying to make him interact with her new friends. He could feel the attention their group was getting but for once Inuyasha didn't find himself overly bothered by it. Why? Because the entire time Kagome's warm smile was there encouraging him to branch out and engage with these seemingly unbiased strangers. It was awkward at first but that didn't last long. By the time lunch was over, even Inuyasha wished he could spend a few more minutes with the peculiar humans instead of going to class.

* * *

"Ah, seriously, I think introducing those two was a mistake. Miroku is going to have Inuyasha picking up girls left and right before the week is out!" Kagome whined as she plopped down in her seat. Sango and her had to leave the two men for class and that resulted in Miroku very seriously pulling Inuyasha away for some 'male bonding time.' Kagome was so happy when Miroku and Sango accepted Inuyasha without any prejudice, which in turn allowed them to keep their friendship ( like Kagome would hang out with people who wouldn't accept Inuyasha, hmph), but now she was worried Miroku would corrupt the innocent little hanyou. A player Inuyasha was not something Kagome thought Toga-san would appreciate…

"Hmm, he might try but I don't think Inuyasha would go for it. He doesn't seem the type to willingly approach strangers. Not that I can blame him though." Sango sighed as she took the seat next to Kagome. This classroom was smaller and they had spent so much time talking that by the time they arrived it was nearly full. The only seats left were on the nearly vacant front row.

"Oh, because he's hanyou? I don't really get it but I understand there is a prejudice about it." Kagome admitted. Except for the little bit she heard from Toga, the miko didn't really understand the social taboo that surrounded hanyou. Sango tried to explain the complexity of it and how the prejudice was dying down as more and more demons were mating with humans but it would take a while for the discrimination and hostile attitudes towards them to go away completely.

"So it's like racism?" Kagome surmised as the best way to get a grasp on the situation. "If so, that is despicable. Why should it matter if a human and a youkai hooked up, and even if they did commit some social faux pas why should that affect their kids? That's just ridiculous." Kagome's temper began to stir as she pictured a chibi Inuyasha being bullied for his birth and the cruel things that might have been said to him. Her temper was only incited further by a high-pitched and nasally voice that spoke up from behind her.

"Ridiculous? Tell me human, doesn't your kind look down on similar unions with equal amounts of disdain? A human rutting a wild dog is considered illegal in many of your countries, yes?" The voice was sharp and filled with arrogance, and when Kagome turned to see the owner of such a voice it made a lot of sense. A tall, thin woman with long blonde hair curled and styled to perfection sat a few rows back. She was wearing a blood red blouse that had a collar plunging down in to her cleavage. A boa made of redish-gold feather's also laid along her neck and shoulders as she sat like a queen among a gaggle of friends with equally haughty demeanors. Fiery blue clashed with dull red gaze and something in Kagome snapped.

"Excuse me, did you just compare a human and youkai, two beings of higher intelligence, to that of a human, an intelligent life from capable of complex thought and understanding, 'rutting' a wild beast without the ability to think or reason?" Kagome's voice was as cool as a winter breeze and the shallow smile on her face was far too different from the norm. Silence answered her until a ear-piercing cackle split the air.

"Intelligent? You humans think you can be considered as such, hahaha." The woman folded in on herself as she laughed, causing the red fire emblem on her forehead to crinkle. "Yes, that's exactly what I compared it to. Weak and worthless human's mating with youkai only taint the bloodline and create foul cretin like your friend." The girl stood up and in a show of force released her youki like a flare. Maroon red energy whipped around and Sango moved to pull Kagome behind her. At first, Kagome didn't understand why Sango would do so but then she remembered. She hadn't had the chance to tell Sango or Miroku that she was not some defenseless human but a miko.

"Listen here, bitch." Sango stopped in shock. She hadn't known Kagome for long but those vulgar words and the icy glare emanating from her beautiful eyes did not feel right, like they didn't belong on one so warm and genuinely kind. But here they were, with gusto. "I don't care about your opinions, its a free world and with one as small minded as you I encourage your little bird brain to think about as many things as possible, but if you dare." Kagome's eyes began to take on an ominous glow that had the youkai close to her bristle with the instinct to flee but they didn't know why. "If you dare insult my friend in front of me, you better be prepared to face the consequences."

Kagome's small hands were balled up in tight fists at her side. Her teeth were barred as they gnashed together in the effort it took her to keep her reiki below her skin. She didn't care if people knew she was a miko, but Kagome knew that if her 'Inu-Sensei' heard about her losing control on the first day she would never hear the end of it.

Instead, Kagome put every ounce of her anger into her voice as her final word's came out like a snarled oath. It made the woman in red blanch for but a moment before she opened her mouth to squawk back at her, but the two raging female's argument was stopped by a voice as soothing as an early spring rain.

"Ladies, the last time I checked my class was for intellectual debate and cross-cultural discussion. The battlefield, if you please, is located on the other side of campus." A tall man wearing a forrest green button down and dark brow slacks suddenly spoke from the front of the room. Kagome turned around but she already knew what she would see, just not how close it would appear.

Eyes of green jade and sunlight stood right before her and a gentle smile was hooked up at the corners of his mouth in obvious amusement. Pale, platinum blonde hair was tied back once again in a simple half-up half-down style that allowed his long locks to fall to his waist. Again, Kagome's mind stuttered at how other-worldly the man looked, like a mischievous angel.

"We meet again, little Ilma." The man spoke in a hushed tone that even the demon's couldn't hear but it had Kagome blushing before she hardened her face once more to a look of annoyance. That name bothered her since she didn't know what it meant and Kagome could tell the man had no intention of telling her. In fact, the look he made after seeing the young girl's annoyance was filled with mirth as he turned to approach the podium.

Sango pulled on Kagome's arm to signal she should probably sit down and with one withering glare tossed back at the vile woman who insulted Inuyasha, Kagome relented and took her seat. Excited whispered were loud enough even for their human ears but neither Kagome or Sango knew what had the surrounding youkai in a tizzy. It wasn't until their 'sensei' made his introduction that they had their first clue.

"Greetings everyone and welcome to West Meets East: Clashing Perspectives. I am you teacher, Faelor Aragorn Second Prince of the Elvish Kingdom of Aragorn. It is my pleasure," Green eyes swept the room to land definitively on a certain little miko. "to meet you here today."

* * *

**AN: Hello everyone! I know this is very long overdue but I hit a snag in this story as I was trying to decide how to proceed. This wasn't originally meant to be a long piece but I am just uncomfortable rushing Sesshomaru and Kagome's relationship. Therefore, this piece will end up being a longer work. How long? I don't know, but I hope you stick with it as I will try and make updates more regular! **

**UPDATE: To those of you wonderful people out there reading my stories, I am sorry to say that I will be on hiatus for a short two months. I have a test that I need to study for along with other responsibilities that will occupy all of my free time. I do apologize but I will make sure to return as soon as possible and to make sure that your wait is well worth it! I hope you will stick with me despite this inconvenience and I hope you aren't too angry with me :'(**

**Thank you for your continued support.**


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